Mandates For The Miners

Mandatory vaccination has struck workers jobless at regional mines this past week, with many Mackay locals now unemployed with the resource industry’s support of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.

Roy Ware was one such Mackay local who worked for BHP - the operators of nine mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and the Hay Point coal terminal. Mr Ware worked for the mining giant for the last three years at their Peak Downs Mine as a permanent maintenance contractor until January 31.

The Peak Downs Mine introduced mandatory full-vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of entry to its Australian sites and offices from January 31, as did every other BHP operated mine.

“The science is clear that widespread vaccination saves lives,” BHP Minerals Australia President Edgar Basto said.

“We have undertaken a thorough assessment and believe that this is the right path forward to protect the health of our people, their families and the communities where we operate.”

Mr Ware, a husband and father to three children, was told that Thursday 27 January would be his last day and his site access would be revoked for failure to comply with the No Jab, No Entry requirements.

In peaceful compliance, Roy packed his bags, but also took to protesting outside Peak Downs the night of the vaccine mandates coming into effect.

He loaded a swag, camping gear and supplies into the ute, and made a “stand in peaceful protest for freedom and democracy” outside the facility.

Mr Ware said that, aside from himself, a few others lost their jobs but by this point many of the FIFO workers who were unvaccinated had been “weeded out.”

“One bloke was finishing up and he was on his way to the airport and had a yarn with me, as well as hung his shirt up to show his support,” Mr Ware said.

“Plenty of blokes came and saw me, it was a good little positive interaction there - four of my original crew have stopped because they didn’t get the jab.

“It’s a bit of a shame, I’m never late, never miss a day, and same goes for the other boys - the work we did was appreciated.”

Resources industry experts have said that the risk an unvaccinated employee presents, if they’re carrying COVID-19, is a catastrophic one which would lead to the closure of an entire mine site if an outbreak occurred, despite vaccinated people also being able to spread the virus.

Mr Ware said it should not be up to a company on what is a person-by-person choice.

“Big companies, I challenge them on their values of respect when they’re not valuing people’s choices to not get the jab,” he said.

Roy Ware is one of the Mackay workers who lost his job in the wake of vaccine mandates

Roy’s peaceful protest at the Peak Downs Mine

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