The Kimberley Land Council (KLC) and WA Unions are fighting for the rights of local Indigenous people who will work on the proposed Kimberley gas hub development to be guaranteed by a union agreement.
Signing an historic, in-principle agreement in Broome this week, the KLC, the AMWU and other unions have identified a union agreement as the best way of safeguarding the rights of workers. Up to 6000 people are expected to work on the proposed LNG facility if it receives environmental and cultural heritage approvals.
Kimberley Land Council CEO Wayne Bergmann said the agreement builds on a long history of Aboriginal people and trade unions working together to improve the living standards of Indigenous people in the Kimberley and their families.
“Unions have long been allies to local Indigenous people in the struggle for land rights and better living standards,” Mr Bergmann said.
“They stood alongside the founders of the KLC, on the barricades of the Noonkanbah dispute, and they stand alongside us today as we strive for better employment opportunities for our people here in the Kimberley. We look forward to working with all unions to deliver improved employment outcomes for our people.”
AMWU WA Secretary, Steve McCartney said “Today, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kimberley Indigenous people to ensure the gas hub delivers good, secure and safe jobs and greater employment and training opportunities for all our people.”
The agreement is between the Kimberley Land Council, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Electrical Trades Unions, the Australian Workers’ Union and Transport Workers’ Union. The signatories have pledged to:
• promote Indigenous participation in the new workforce through union agreements.
• push for good wages and conditions, safe workplaces and access to education, training and development opportunities for Indigenous people in the workplace through union agreements and other means.
• work collectively to ensure union agreements and project agreements promote the rights of all workers and Indigenous people.
• support greater recognition of Indigenous peoples’ land rights.