Fly-in, fly-out ‘necessary, but overused’ – unions
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Australian trade unions have raised concern about the widespread use of long-distance commuting forms, such as fly-in, fly-out (Fifo) work practices, and have called on federal and state governments to do more to ensure that mining companies provide workers with a choice about their working and living arrangements.
Labour unions endorsed a resolution at this week’s triennial Australian Council of Trade Unions congress, which notes the impacts of Fifo on workers.
CFMEU Mining and Energy Queensland president Stephen Smyth said employers’ growing preference for itinerant over residential workforces was killing local communities, leading to punishing roster cycles and discriminating against regional workers.
“Fifo and other commuting work arrangements are a necessary part of the industry, but they are being overused by companies which do not want to invest in local communities or training,” said Smyth.
“Fifo should be restricted to genuinely remote and temporary projects and workers should be given genuine choice about their working and living arrangements,” he added.
Unions also want government to ensure that Fifo worker accommodation camps meet minimum standards; that companies do not discriminate against local workers; that shifts and rosters are developed in consultation with employees and that tax arrangement do not favour the employment of itinerant over residential workforces.
The congress welcomed initiatives from the Western Australian Parliamentary inquiry into Fifo suicides and the Queensland government’s inquiry into the impacts of Fifo and commuting.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
The Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa was established to develop sustainable, internationally competitive carbon steel tube and pipe...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
