‘It’s not the 80s’: Premier Roger Cook rejects concerns over return to dark union days amid Pilbara push

Fears the return of unions to WA’s economic powerhouse, the Pilbara, will see an industrial environment like the 1980s are “unrealistic”, the Premier believes, saying things have changed in the decades since. Speaking amid growing concerns about union organising on iron ore worksites in the prosperous region, Roger Cook said industrial organisations no longer had the membership support base compared to historic highs. But Mr Cook refused to comment on whether unions had been emboldened by State and Federal Labor Governments softening approaches on industrial relations. The concerns — that the Pilbara could be dragged to the 1980s — have come after Federal Labor’s new industrial relations regime has allowed unions to start collective bargaining without the majority support of the workforce they represent. This has forced miner BHP to the negotiating table, which could spark a wave of unionisation across the region after more than a decade of big miners effectively keeping unions out of their operations in the region. “A lot has changed in the last 35 years in relation to the way these companies work and the way that the unions work and I know that companies and unions know that they get better outcomes in terms of wages, conditions and workplace safety when they work together,” Mr Cook said. “That’s what my expectation would be at all times in relation to any company or union in WA.” Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Chris Rodwell said on Monday the move ran the risk of pulling the State back to the “bad old days”. “This push by the union risks dragging us back to the bad old days of the 1980s where unions wielded significant power in the Pilbara and caused major disruption,” Mr Rodwell said. “The last thing WA and our nation needs is industrial chaos on our mining sites, allowing unions to effectively hold our economy to ransom. “The vast majority of workers in the Pilbara are not union members. It demonstrates how these new workplace laws can be manipulated to support union recruitment drives.” Mr Cook admitted unions no longer had the support amongst the workforce, with low density across many industries, and as a result, claimed they had changed their approaches. “That’s the nature of the modern workplace — unions work in different ways today to make sure that they can continue to drive good outcomes for their members and workers on the work site,” he said. “The workplace is an evolving place, and it’s one now that we know today, that the companies hold much higher priority in relation to workplace safety. “By working together with the union, they want to attract and maintain and retain some of the best workers. That’s why they strive to provide the best wages and conditions outcomes, to make sure that their companies continue to thrive. “To suggest that we’re going back 35 years in relation to industrial relations practice, I think is unrealistic.” Liberal leader Libby Mettam said it was concerning WA was seeing some of the union characteristics from the 1980s. “We cannot afford to see Western Australia go back to the 1980s where the State was held to ransom by the union movement,” she said. “We know Roger Cook owes his job to the unions. He’s also been bankrolled by the unions as well. Why won’t he stand up to the unions.”