CFMEU mining division president Stephen Smyth, who lives in Mackay, said with youth unemployment running at 7.3% in the local electorates of Dawson and Capricornia, it was “outrageous” that major miners in the Bowen Basin were refusing to employ local workers.
“The local community was absolutely disgusted earlier this year when BHP announced it would be using a 100% FIFO workforce in its two big Central Queensland mines, robbing local towns of 1000 direct jobs and millions in flow-on economic benefits that this work could have produced,” Smyth said.
“The coal that is being mined in the Bowen Basin belongs to all Australians, and we want to ensure all Australians receive the benefits of this industry, which means these mining companies should employ local workers, train local young people and invest in local communities.”
Smyth said the union had put billboards on busy highways as part of a national campaign to ensure Australian jobs were a central focus of the upcoming federal election.
“Our nation’s future prosperity is linked to our ability to provide quality jobs for our kids,” he said.
“That means more investment in training, greater use of locally produced manufactured products, and a requirement that more of the proceeds of our mining boom are invested in health, education, infrastructure and the other needs of our regional communities.”
Unions are also railing against a plan to build a $100 million development to house outside workers for nearby Singleton coal mines in New South Wales.
The proposed 1500-unit temporary accommodation camp would lead to social problems and undermine local jobs, CFMEU northern district secretary Grahame Kelly said.
“Camps of this nature are closely associated with fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) operations,” he said.
“While this might be appropriate in remote regions, Singleton is a family-based community.”
The camp will give local mines the option to fly in workers from other parts of Australia – a way to get around employing locals and bypass the industrial concerns of workers, he said.
