Policy change seeks to 'ensure fairness for all employees'
Mining giant Rio Tinto is proposing changes to its sick and carer's leave policy for workers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
A spokesperson from the mining giant told HRD that the proposed changes for Rio Tinto Iron Ore are designed to "ensure fairness for all employees."
"This includes up to 12 months of sick and carer's leave at full pay, including allowances, in the event of serious illness or injury, which we believe would be industry leading," the spokesperson said.
The statement is a response to claims from the Western Mine Workers' Alliance (WMWA) that Rio Tinto is slashing the personal leave entitlements for the fly-in, fly-out workforce in WA.
A report from the Australian Financial Review said that Rio Tinto is proposing to cut sick leave days from 49 to 12.
"It's a policy that gave workers the confidence to show up, day in and day out, knowing they'd be supported if something went wrong," said Brad Gandy, AWU WA Secretary, in a statement.
"Stripping it away doesn't just cut an entitlement, it guts trust."
According to Rio Tinto, the safety and wellbeing of their people remain a priority for the company, and the proposed changes were prompted by feedback from their people survey.
"We are currently consulting with our people about these proposed changes," the Rio Tinto spokesperson said.
