The EEA agreement included a three-year wage freeze, the destruction of 500 jobs and the removal of conditions. The EBA has been hailed by the Australian Financial Review as a “pioneer” and by BlueScope as a “game-changing”. The enterprise agreement applies to 2,000 BHP Coal employees in Goonyella, Peak Downs, Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory, Crinum and Blackwater and at the Hay Point coal export terminal south of Mackay. “BHP has attempted to remove or reduce many of the terms of the 2012 agreement by attacking workplace representation, litigation ability, accommodation costs, bonus provisions, wages and job security. The agreement will cover three of the BMA mines – in Saraji, Goonyella and Peak Downs – in the Queensland Bowen Basin region. In addition to the wage stoppage, the BMA has reportedly requested a review of the conditions. These include a change in the calibration of Superannuation payments, which could cost workers up to $4,000 a year, and doubling the rents for housing provided by businesses to $160 per week. Productivity bonuses need to be reduced. If a job has a registered contract, the premium does not apply.

However, the CFMMEU believes that its arguments are supported by the precedent of May 2018, when the Federal Court of Justice struck down an enterprise agreement by the one Key Workforce staffing company for the resource industry. Start with our document search and try to search for full-text chords. Initially, the company attempted to completely de-polish the terms of the 2012 agreement and to enter into a separate agreement for Blackwater mine workers on much less favourable terms. “This is the largest enterprise agreement the union has reached in Queensland and we are very pleased that a long and difficult negotiation has been resolved,” said Stephen Smyth. Registered contracts apply until they are terminated or replaced. “BHP initially wanted to enter into two separate enterprise agreements, with different terms and conditions. We believe that this approach was only intended to undermine the ability of these workers to meet fair conditions.