Fed: Court victory for BHP in fight for individual contracts

AAP General News (Australia)
01-10-2001
Fed: Court victory for BHP in fight for individual contracts

By Sandra O'Malley

MELBOURNE, Jan 10 AAP - Mining giant BHP scored a major victory in its battle to offer
individual contracts to iron ore workers in Western Australia when the Federal Court ruled
today the contracts were legal.

Unions vowed to appeal the Federal Court decision that BHP Iron Ore (BHPIO) had acted
legally in offering the Workplace Agreements (WPA) to about 1000 workers at its iron ore
mines in the Pilbara.

Five unions launched the legal action against Australia's biggest miner last January,
claiming BHP had …