CPA - The Guardian

The Kimberley Land Council (KLC) has enlisted the muscle of five unions to protect the rights of Indigenous workers employed on the proposed liquefied gas hub at James Price Point, 60 kilometres north of Broome. KLC Chief Executive Officer Wayne Bergmann signed an in-principle agreement in Broome on May 11 with the five unions.

The agreement is between the KLC, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Electrical Trades Unions, the Australian Workers’ Union and Transport Workers’ Union.

They say a union agreement is the best way to safeguard the rights of up to 6,000 workers if the LNG facility receives environmental and cultural heritage approval from the federal government.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has previously said the environmental and cultural assessments for the gas hub would not be completed until 2010, and various groups remain opposed to the project.

Opponents made their feelings known recently by spray-painting a wall outside the KLC office, and around the town of Broome. Police were called to investigate graffiti, which said the KLC was “Killing Land and Country”.

The attacks prompted the council’s co-founder, John Watson, to accuse the vandals of being ignorant of the council’s history. Save the Kimberley spokesman Kevin Blatchford told The Koori Mail newspaper that his group was not behind the graffiti, and did not condone that type of action.

However, he said it was a big issue and feelings were running high.

Despite the opposition, the KLC is moving forward with the proposal, which is expected to deliver up to $2 billion in benefits to local Indigenous people.

KLC CEO Mr Bergmann said the agreement with the unions continued a long tradition of working together to improve the living standards of Kimberley Indigenous people and their families.

“Unions have long been allies to local Indigenous people in the struggle for land rights and better living standards,” he 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.”

Safe Jobs

AMWU state secretary, Steve McCartney, said the unions “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”.

They have pledged to promote Indigenous participation in the new workforce through union agreements and push for good wages and conditions, safe workplaces and access to education, training and development opportunities for Indigenous people.

They also pledged to work collectively to ensure union agreements and project agreements promoted the rights of all workers and Indigenous people; and to support greater recognition of Indigenous peoples’ land rights.

The Koori Mail

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