It seems managing employment cost and problems in...

It seems managing employment cost and problems in Queensland/Northern NSW coal mines has been a major issue for a long time .
This year there are SIX class actions in the courts against labour hire companies around wages issues.
From September 21, 2018;https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09...inst-workpac-programmed-hays-one-key/10290834


Meanwhile Australian Bureau of statistics data from July showed there was a new job being created in the resources industry every hour!


....Anyway dealing with both clear problems in the old model around hiring as well as the dearth of workers means that as well as Fitzroy setting up a training program (which may potentially involve Golding?) BHP/Mitsubishi is changing the way it works, now setting up it’s own labour hire firm :
December 12, 2018
https://www.wattelectricalnews.com/...our-hire-firm-to-make-casuals-permanent/47132
The new system will involve semi permanent teams to “refresh the culture”
“BHP's new class of workers will earn the standard 25 per cent loading in lieu of annual leave, paid personal and carers leave, notice of termination and redundancy benefits. Those benefits will flow to them should they become permanent. And the new arrivals will also likely earn the right to share in BHP's incentive bonus schemes.
But they will remain on the lower rates of base pay that is a feature of casual employment and they will continue to work with the same flexibility as would be demanded by a labour hire firm.”

See also :https://www.copyright link/business...employment-in-the-coal-fields-20181205-h18s68
And https://www.copyright link/business/mining/coal/bhps-inhouse-labour-hire-revolution-20181206-h18ts4



As background to the class action side of things :
Four years ago, in early 2015, BHP was revealed to have crunched the numbers in a confidential document, “Project Vista” (which was then leaked) saying it was crucial to reduce wages in order to make a profit out of the Norwich Park Mine.
“BMA has strongly indicated that success of the project will be dependent on being able to operate the mine efficiently while using labour that is paid significantly less than is currently the case at surrounding existing operations,’’ the contractor’s note said.
“A strong desire has been expressed that labour should be sourced from lower-paying areas outside Queensland (Adelaide, Melbourne for example).”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/busi...e/news-story/87de811b65f5021765f9be7f92fa6500



As background to the worker shortage :
July 2018: https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/demand-workers-queenslands-resources-sector-continues/
“Queensland is teeming with hundreds of jobs in the resources sector, from Towns ville and Mt Isa in the north, to Toowoomba and Roma in the south and in corporate headquarters in Brisbane.”.....
“..The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) labour force data showed that the resources sector was creating a job every hour, or more precisely, 8400 jobs over the last 12 months.”....