Recent reforms under Same Job Same Pay laws are set to deliver long-overdue pay increases to labour hire workers across Australia. However, the Liberal National Party (LNP) has made it clear that these advancements are under threat if they come to power.
While the Mining and Energy Union has been actively working to secure fair wages for labour hire workers, submitting an application this month to lift pay rates at one of the largest open-cut mines in the Hunter Valley, the LNP has been promising to undo these reforms. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has openly assured mining companies that he will be their “best friend”, suggesting a rollback of these workplace protections if his party is elected.
Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume echoed this sentiment on national television, stating that the LNP would “review” Same Job Same Pay laws, which could potentially reverse the progress made in securing fair wages for workers.
It’s no surprise that the Liberal Nationals are aligning themselves with the mining lobby, given the Minerals Council’s vocal opposition to the new laws aimed at closing loopholes that have long allowed companies to cut costs at workers’ expense. The reality is stark, workers’ rights are being placed on the chopping block, and the mining lobby is set to benefit.
This attack on Same Job Same Pay is also part of a broader agenda. The LNP is targeting other critical worker protections, including a fair definition of casual work, streamlined processes for casuals to convert to permanent jobs and limiting the use of rolling fixed-term contracts.
Prime Minister Albanese has countered these claims by emphasising that Australian mining companies can thrive without resorting to wage cutting or circumventing fair employment practices. In the current cost-of-living crisis, telling workers they shouldn’t seek better pay is not just unreasonable, it’s out of touch. Yet, this seems to be exactly what the Liberal Nationals and the Minerals Council are advocating.
The new laws have already made a tangible difference. For instance, Danielle, a truck driver at Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter Valley, saw her pay rise by $33,000 after Thiess opted to offer direct employment to labour hire workers from Programmed. This change was a direct result of the union’s Same Job Same Pay application to the Fair Work Commission.
And it’s not just isolated cases – companies are starting to recognise the need for change. Boggabri Coal and One Key recently decided not to contest the union’s application for Same Job Same Pay, meaning they won’t stand in the way of labour hire workers at Boggabri Coal mine in the Gunnedah Basin receiving the same pay as permanent employees.
Even Qantas, notorious for exploiting labour hire loopholes, has agreed to support the Flight Attendants Association’s push for Same Job Same Pay for short-haul cabin crews. Qantas and BHP have been at the forefront of promoting this flawed employment model, but with Qantas now on board, the mining lobby stands as the last holdout.
Tania Constable’s claims that the new laws are also creating workplace conflict simply does not hold up. In fact, more workers are reaching agreements through enterprise bargaining than ever before, and recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show steady employment figures.
It is disappointing to see the Liberal Nationals clinging to a divisive and outdated model designed to bypass enterprise agreements and suppress wages. For too long, companies like BHP have benefited from these practices, but the time for exploiting labour hire loopholes is over.
The message is clear, the era of unchecked wage suppression is ending. It’s time for the mining lobby to accept that fair pay and worker rights are here to stay.
Robin Williams
District President MEU Northern Mining and NSW Energy
