PERTH (CU)_Over the recent months, the mining sector of Australia has been experiencing labor shortages, which have left some miners with staff turnover rates close to 50 per cent. Now, mining and energy companies fear that the situation may be further exacerbated as the government of Western Australia signalling plans to make vaccinations mandatory for workers in the resources sector.
According to Jim Beyer, the chief executive of Regis Resources, operating in the North Eastern Goldfields of WA, the company and its contractors are already reporting turnover rates that are well above the traditional levels, and that border restrictions have made it “virtually impossible” to fill in the shortages.
“We have seen elements of maybe 40 per cent, 50 per cent turnover on an annualised basis in the past quarter in certain sections,” he told last week. “It is not just the turnover causing the issue, it is also the time to fill: because skilled labour is scarce, it takes time to fill roles.”
While Australia has mining operations in all of its states and territories, the state of Western Australia remains particularly…
