The outcry following an erroneous online job advertisement has served to highlight the shifting ground in resources employment and how businesses are adapting to the sector slowdown.
The outcry following an erroneous online job advertisement has served to highlight the shifting ground in resources employment and how businesses are adapting to the sector slowdown.
Queensland construction contractor Goodline caused a stir early this month when it advertised for ‘FIFO permanent roles’ on a 12 weeks on, one week off roster.
The ad became a story, which was widely picked up by mainstream and social media, bringing condemnation from unions (which called it a ‘suicide roster’), FIFO workers and others. However, the real story was that the ad was clumsily worded, and in fact was never for FIFO workers but rather to hire Port Hedland locals.
Goodline managing director John Kennedy told Business News the cost of flights and mine site accommodation for FIFO workers was too high, so where possible it employed locally at its major bases across Australia, including in Port Hedland, where more than 50 per cent of its 150 staff lived in town.
Mr Kennedy said because Goodline offered four flights out of Port Hedland a year for local workers, a mistake was made assuming that, over the course of the year, this equated to 12 weeks between rostered flights.
Elsewhere it’s understood companies are revising their presence in the Pilbara and focusing on local employment. On a positive note, motor dealership Pilbara Motor Group is opening a new base in Newman.
However, the mining slowdown is being felt across the resources sector, with Paraburdoo-based Aboriginal business GLH going into administration and liquidation, and logistics and transport providers Linfox and Agility cutting down on Karratha staff as Chevron’s Gorgon project nears completion.
It is understood Perth and Pilbara contractors that provided goods and services to GLH, the earthmoving company run by Neville Stewart, are owed as much as $3 million.
Major secured creditor Indigenous Business Australia is expected to recoup its loan as will about a dozen employees, who are believed to be owed wages.
Businessman Vaughan Corps, whose family owned company Karratha Earthmoving & Sand Supplies is owed money by GLH, told Business News that despite the tough market, construction projects around town were still providing job opportunities.
“Things are happening (but) you’ve got to change the way you do business to survive. You’ve just got to learn to adapt,” Mr Corps said.
“There are plenty of opportunities, go walk down the main streets of Perth, whatever you see down there, you can do it in Karratha.
“There’s still businesses building and investing and there’s still a lot of money the government is pouring into this town.”
