Comments on: Iron ore miners lure workers to outback with resort-style living

By: Andrea Madeley

Andrea Madeley — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 20:42:42 +0000

In reply to Nick. Thank you for your insight. It explains a lot.

By: Toad

Toad — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 23:55:05 +0000

I have worked in the mining industry for over 15 years and have generally found the camps to be good. The mining companies can put as many good facilities in place, but workers can’t fully enjoy them when you are pushing them to work over 12 hours a day with long commutes from camp to site and back. There isn’t many daylight hours to unwind when you need to get up at 4:30 am to get ready, jump on the bus at 5:15am to start at 5:30 am and getting back to camp close to 7pm. The companies try and squeeze every minute out of workers for production, while not listening to the true causes of mental health issues.

The amenities staff the forgotten people by the mining companies and in my opinion are unpaid and underappreciated. They are expected to work long hours, put up with bad behaviour while having to try and be creative with tight budgets.

By: Carlos Gardel

Carlos Gardel — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 01:00:24 +0000

I have been all over the world on minesites and I have to say this is bullshit. Nothing has changed. I know the article referrs to WA but the rule is throughout Australia and other parts of world mine site camps and kitchens are complete shit where the poor people serving the food are serving up poor quality stuff because the mining companies dont want to pay for it. OIl and gas projects are the opposite in that they really take care of their people. I have heard that many times. I was on a project in Peru once and the food was so bad I ended up getting muscle cramps from lack of nutrition. How much can a guy go on a handful of rice and 1 chicken leg. The fault is with the mining companies. In next few years there will be many people who will have left the mining industry never to return. Camps and Camp food are a big reason why. And I agree with the comments here on the people who work in kitchens. They are just trying to make a buck often trying to make decent food from shit ingredients.

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 21:26:21 +0000

I’ve been a chef for 35 years. During that time I was head chef of a good London restaurant, I’ve worked at 5 star International hotels in Sydney, Cairns and the UK. I have also spent 3 years working in Antarctica and 6 years in Australian mine sites. Never in my life have I experienced such a toxic environment as those 6 years, mostly in WA with ESS, and Queensland with Morriscorp and Sodexo. I’m used to 70 – 80 hour weeks. I’m not used to being spat at, cursed and threatened. When you give ridiculous money to young men who have no education and massive egos what do you expect? I worked on Barrow Island for 4 years. And the food was terrible. The ingredients were often off. The meats were of awful quality and the rules were simple – overcook everything. They are are terrified of a food poisoning outbreak in a camp where everyone lives close quarters. No wonder everyone was depressed, angry, irritable etc. I used to dread the flight to work. Literally, dread. The fault is with the mining companies who on one hand pay a couple of dollars spend on ingredients per miner, while on the other hand demand top quality meals, which they’re not going to get. You can’t build a Rolls Royce out of second hand Ford escort parts. And more fault lies with the catering companies who expect hours of unpaid overtime, with no breaks, yet trumpet their commitment to health and safety. I regularly worked 11 or 12 hours on my feet without a moment’s rest, on dangerous equipment like deep fryers and meat slicers. Total joke, they only care about profits.

By: Carol

Carol — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 11:52:13 +0000

Omfg these companies have NO IDEA ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH! ABOUT HUMAN INTERACTION! ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN WAY. THEY RE TO BUSY GIVING THESE WORKERS TO MUCH COMFORT! LITTLE WORK? NO PEOPLE SKILLS LET ALONE RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO ACTUALLY WORK.
WHILST THEY DO THERE THING, EARN THERE BUCKS, THEN GO BACK TO THEIR RESORT, THERE ARE CLEANER CHEFS AND KITCHEN STAFF WORKING THEIR GUTS OUT TO THESE !!
“” PEOPLE “” THAT ON A DAILY BASIS DISRESPECT THOSE WHO GET LESS THAT $25 HR AFTER TAX WORK 2/1 ALSO AWAY FROM LOVE ONES AND THEIR PETS.
IM SORRY YOU GO AWAY TO WORK!! NOT TO WORK OUT AT THE GYM. GET YOUR MUSCLES THE REAL MANS WAY!!! BY WORKING, BY EARNING THAT BIG ASS PAY THAT THE REST OF US GET PISSED ON! TAKEN FOR GRANTED TREATED LIKE YOUR MOTHERS.
IM DONE BEING DISRESPECTED BY SELF CENTRED MINERS AND THEIR COMPANIES.
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE BECAUSE OF ALL THOSE BIG MINING COMPANIES AND THE LIKES OF THOSE CONTRACTORS WORKING FOR THEM.

By: David

David — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 04:23:58 +0000

Thanks, interesting insight into remote worksite communities in the mining sector

By: Ernesto A. Ayudan, Sr.

Ernesto A. Ayudan, Sr. — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 00:19:34 +0000

Thank you for keeping us updated

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 02:42:08 +0000

I’m wondering if this is a joke, I used to work at South flank now I’m at koodaideri and in my 15 years working FIFO nothing has changed, most camps the food is terrible rooms can stink and sometimes your bed has hairs or scabies it’s hard to sleep with people drinking and playing music outside your room people fight , they talk about a pool and this or that but your working all day in the sun at the end of the day your tired and just want to sleep there’s so much else I could say but what’s the point nothing ever changes they just have more meetings and talk about it then it’s the same

By: Gareth Jones

Gareth Jones — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 02:21:10 +0000

What a joke. I am at Gudai Darri, the food is crap especially the crib choice. Never had my room cleaned on time in 5 swings. Have had to goto the office and ask them to do the job they are contracted to do and I am not alone. I will never come back to another Sodexo run camp. Why is it blokes would rather drink 12 cans instead of going to dinner. RIOs fault they chose the lowest price and dont oversee the contract