DON’T LET NORTHERN STAR UNDERMINE YOUR PAY AND CONDITIONS – VOTE NO!

The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) is calling on the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) also operating as Northern Star Resources to stop undermining their underground workforce’s wages and conditions.

On 1 November 2022 Northern Star Resources informed its workforce of their intention to terminate the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2017 (Mt Charlotte Underground).

The KCGM agreement negotiated in 2017 guarantees the underground workforce’s wages, conditions, superannuation, leave entitlements and rostering provisions which sit significantly above the mining award.

The AWU is urging all Mt Charlotte Underground employees to VOTE NO. The 2017 agreement contains hard-fought pay and conditions which protect you and your workmates. Don’t be fooled. VOTE NO.

AWU WA Branch Secretary, Brad Gandy said:

“It is extremely disappointing to see Northern Star Resources, the biggest employer in the Goldfields taking such a drastic industrial action against their underground workers. It is particularly alarming given the national conversation around industrial relations and the need to get wages moving in Australia.”

“By attempting to terminate their Enterprise Agreement with their underground workforce Northern Star Resources is actively undermining the pay and conditions of every gold mine worker in the Goldfields and must stop now.”

“Northern Star Resources should be a leading by example and negotiating in good faith with their underground workers not removing a key pillar of certainty from underneath them.”

“The AWU requested that Northern Star commence bargaining with its workforce last year, but instead they kicked the can down the road stating that they “did not see the need to commence bargaining at this time”.

“Something which now, with the power of hindsight makes all too much sense, as they never intended to enter into negotiations with their workforce, but simply to terminate their pay and conditions.”

“Northern Star Resource’s surface employees should pay great attention to what is happening to their underground colleagues as the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Enterprise Agreement 2019 (Surface Operations) is most definitely next in the crosshairs for termination.”

“The AWU is calling on Northern Star to stop what they are doing and urging all Mt Charlotte Underground employees to VOTE NO when the termination goes to vote.”