High Court Backs Equal Pay for Mining Workers

0:00Australia's high court just shut down mining giant BHP's last shot at overturning a same job. Same pay order at three big coal mines in Central, Queensland. We're talking Gugnella Riverside, Sarah G, and Peak Downs in the Bowen Basin. This affects more than 2,000 labor hire workers who now get the same pay as direct employees for doing identical work. The Fair Work Commission first backed the workers last year. The federal court agreed, and now the high court says BHP's appeal had no real chance of winning. BHP already paid out the raises, some hitting $30,000 per worker while fighting this through the courts. Unions are celebrating, calling at the end of BHP's resistance. Their rep says these folks work side by side with full-timers on the same shifts and tasks, so equal pay makes sense. Meanwhile, BHP worries this could drag down productivity and hit contractor setups hard. The mining and energy union isn't stopping here. They're eyeing similar orders at other mines in New South Wales and Queensland.

1:03Industry groups estimate this ruling could cost BHP around $1.3 billion a year. This sets a strong precedent, pushing fairer wages across the sector without the legal roadblocks. Keep an ear out for how it ripples through the mines. Local news, powered by AI, this is Sydney News Today.