On 28 July 2021, AREEA appeared before the Senate Committee Inquiry into Job Security to provide evidence on behalf of the resources and energy industry.

In this opening statement, Head of Policy and Public Affairs Tom Reid explains how the industry is “incredibly diverse and involves numerous employment and contracting arrangements”.

“Labour hire, independent contracting and casual employment represent small but important functions within this mix. These arrangements are especially useful for engaging skilled workers for short-term work in the more cyclical, project-based areas of the industry,” he said.

“Ultimately, non-permanent forms of work including fixed term and casual labour hire and independent contracting offers choice to both employers and employees. This is particularly relevant for the resources and energy industry where the workforce is highly mobile, moving between projects and operating sites at various stages throughout the life of the operation.

“However, it is not a dominant feature of the industry – which at 10.3% now has a casual employment portion well under half of the all-industries average of 25%.”