Another fatality again at BHP Billiton. This time at Escondida. BHPB is really having trouble coming to grips with the need to produce as prices continue to rise, and maintaining a safe workplace. BHPB sites across the world are characterised by inordinate amounts of paperwork and process designed (so senior management thinks) to lower risk.

If you look at the scoreboard over the past few years, BHPB has sustained a large number of workplace fatalities with two already for the calendar year 2010. A useful benchmark is Rio Tinto, which has a much better record. BHPB senior management mantra “Dig and Deliver” is working for them production-wise but has and continues to be at the expense of lives around its operations. BHPB will wring its hands and talk about how sorry they are but there has been a sameness about their response for some time.

Even their fatality media releases (check the website) are now written to a formula i.e. “It is with deep regret.” It is exactly this commoditised approach to safety that most employees who do the physical work within BHPB are most critical of. The constant filling out of forms and being subjected to constant auditing   has taken away the ability of employees to think.

This  opinion is most pronounced within the Australian operations but is apparent in other parts of the world, too.

When advising job applicants that their applications were unsuccessful, the Privacy Commission included in the email the addresses of all the other unsuccessful applicants — a clear breach of the Privacy Act.  The email was followed up five minutes later by a request to delete the previous email.  Then another email followed reminding applicants that they still didn’t get the job.

I was just wondering who does the lighting for Insiders on the ABC. On Sunday Tony Abbott was looking like Mr Hitler, (a small moustache due to the lighting on his nose). A screen shot would show it. I just wonder is this a sign? or a send up?

abbott

In late 2008 and early 2009 Bunnings increased its prices by 20-30%. Early 2010 Bunnings has decreased prices. Woolworths are rolling back their prices. Two words — stimulus package. Two words  — corporate greed. One word — shareholder. One word — employee. Yours truthfully, watchful Bunnings employee.

Age management uses the office relocation to cancel printers’ collective agreement. Want to avoid paying your bills? Just move house, according to Age management, who are employing just that strategy with their own staff.

In the equivalent of an industrial “ground zero” tactic, management has told 10 pagination employees that their collective agreement didn’t exist anymore because the company had moved less than 500m up the road.

Instead they’ve issued individual contracts and refused to start negotiations with the printers’ union, the AMWU, for a new agreement as the current pagination department agreement expires at the end of March .

In a letter attached to the new contracts, Age management said that their enterprise agreement related to work done at 250 Spencer St, “hence with the company’s move from the Spencer Street building to Media House, your enterprise agreement … ceased to operate on your last day of performing work at the Spencer Street building on 27th November 2009.”

This has major implications for Alliance members because the Fairfax Media-Journalists’ Collective agreement — which covers Alliance members employed by The Age, Sunday Age and FBM publications (AFR, BRW) — and the FCN Production Agreement (covering graphic designers employed by FCN Central) all nominate an address for the company in the respective agreements.

So is the company going to try to argue the same with us?

Alliance house committees will seek a meeting with management to clarify their attitude to our agreements.

While we believe the company’s tactics aren’t based in legal reality, it’s extremely disappointing that they believe individual contracts are the way to go and refuse to recognise that the pagination workers are members of their union and want a collective agreement.

Individual contracts cut out wage rises and conditions. The individual contracts issued to the pagination department employees include no annual wage rise, instead leaving it to management’s discretion: “the salary component of your remuneration package will generally be reviewed on an annual basis. This review will not necessarily mean that your total remuneration package will be increased…”

The contracts:

  • Abolish shift penalties
  • Buy out all overtime payments or time off in lieu
  • Remove the right to a break between shifts
  • Abolish leave loading (17.5%)
  • Reduce the employee’s sick leave from 13 weeks (plus) to the two weeks’ minimum entitlement
  • Removes the right to two clear days’ off per week