The mineworkers union (CFMEU) has criticised Boggabri Coal mine contractor, Downer EDI Mining, for sacking 106 staff, while temporary workers on Section 457 visas kept their jobs.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The company announced the redundancies last month, after Idemitsu said it would undertake a shift restructure to meet current business circumstances surrounding the mine, and that recent coal chain capacity constraints contributed to the need for the restructure.
Those who lost their jobs included 66 production workers and 40 maintenance tradesmen.
CFMEU Northern District President Peter Jordan said eight tradesmen, believed to be mechanical fitters working on Section 457 visas, with no special skills have been retained.
He also said they had less experience than others on site who had been sacked.
“Our information is that these tradesmen are performing exactly the same work that sacked skilled mechanical fitters living locally had been doing before the redundancies were announced,” Mr Jordan said.
“We don’t think there was a skills shortage in the region that necessitated bringing in temporary workers on 457s in the first place. But now Downer has fired 40 local tradesmen, there certainly isn’t a skills shortage now.
“The CFMEU has no issue with employing workers on 457s during shortages of those particular skills here. But there is no shortage of mechanical fitters in the region.
“And even if there was a shortage of those skills, the union is extremely disappointed that Downer did not consider training up local apprentices to fill any gaps during the seven years they’ve been operating on site.”
Downer EDI Mining yesterday confirmed that six workers are employed as mechanical fitters on Section 457 visas because they have special skills and experience in relation to the specific equipment that is used at Boggabri.
Company spokesperson Michael Sharpe said Section 457 workers have the same pay and conditions as local workers, so they are not a “cheap” solution, and work in accordance with the law.
He added that Downer EDI is training local workers to increase their skills and experience to an appropriate level for the equipment used at Boggabri, and will review its skills base and the use of Section 457 visas as part of that process.
