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16 July, 2001The combined website of unions representing BHP iron-ore workers in Western Australia provides background on the long dispute at BHP and up-to-date briefings.
AUSTRALIA: Over the last few years, much has been reported on the anti-union stance of BHP, the giant mining and metals multinational. In an attempt to deny collective representation to workers in its iron-ore mining operations in the Pilbara, Western Australia, the company -- Australia's largest -- has been offering individual contracts. A case brought by the unions, which charged that in November 1999 BHP's offer of individual contracts had unlawfully discriminated against union members and was an attempt to lure workers away from their unions, was rejected by the Federal Court in Melbourne in January 2001. The decision has been appealed.
The combined unions representing workers at the Pilbara BHP operations have now set up a joint website in order to give up-to-date briefings on the progress of the dispute and to send messages via the forum.
The unions say that BHP demands absolute power, but "we demand the right to have a say in how we are treated at work through collective representation. We will campaign against BHP until they agree to the fair treatment of its workers both now and in the future. Our campaign will seek to highlight the reality of BHP's un-Australian conduct and its impact on the environment, community and its own workforce when it has absolute power. We will seek the support of our members in mounting that campaign, within the Pilbara and around the whole country. As Australians, we are not going to go away, we simply demand a fair go."
Click on the associated link to access the new joint website (www.pilbaraunions.com). For related news items, go to the IMF website search engine and type in the letters BHP.
The combined unions representing workers at the Pilbara BHP operations have now set up a joint website in order to give up-to-date briefings on the progress of the dispute and to send messages via the forum.
The unions say that BHP demands absolute power, but "we demand the right to have a say in how we are treated at work through collective representation. We will campaign against BHP until they agree to the fair treatment of its workers both now and in the future. Our campaign will seek to highlight the reality of BHP's un-Australian conduct and its impact on the environment, community and its own workforce when it has absolute power. We will seek the support of our members in mounting that campaign, within the Pilbara and around the whole country. As Australians, we are not going to go away, we simply demand a fair go."
Click on the associated link to access the new joint website (www.pilbaraunions.com). For related news items, go to the IMF website search engine and type in the letters BHP.