Unions blast Rio as they fight for foothold in Pilbara

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: Online : 4-Mar-25

Unions are seeking to establish a presence in Western Australia’s Pilbara iron ore region, and are trying to sign up workers at Rio Tinto’s Paraburdoo operations. The Western Mine Workers Alliance claims that Rio and other iron ore mining companies operating in the Pilbara are trying to discourage workers from making use of new industrial relations laws that have been introduced by the federal government, and the Alliance has accused Rio of running a scare campaign that includes telling employees that signing enterprise bargaining agreements will make mining unviable. The Alliance claims that on average that union members earn up to 30 per cent more than non-union workers, while a spokesperson for Rio said its existing approach to employee relations in the Pilbara has delivered strong growth in both wages and productivity.

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RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

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