MMA, Rio cut more jobs
The stream of job losses stemming out of WA's North West continued at the weekend, with MMA Offshore and Rio Tinto's Dampier Salt division both announcing staff cuts.
It is understood oil and gas vessel operator MMA, formerly known as Mermaid Marine, told staff yesterday redundancies would take place at its Dampier supply base, with MMA staff posting on social media that 13 workers would lose their jobs.
Workers posted images of themselves at a stop work meeting at the base, a major conduit for Chevron's Gorgon LNG project, after staff claimed they were told to continue working despite the redundancy announcement.
Official numbers were last night unconfirmed. MMA managing director Jeff Weber was contacted for comment.
The supply base was the centre of major industrial conflict in October when about 65 workers stopped work for four days after talks on a new enterprise bargaining agreement stalled.
The WA Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia yesterday confirmed it was meeting MMA. MMA's share price has sunk to near eight-year lows because of the weak oil price. It last traded at 68.5¢.
Rio Tinto yesterday confirmed more job losses at its Dampier Salt operations, just four months after it revealed about 50 job losses within the division.
The company would not confirm how many jobs were chopped across its 400-strong workforce at Port Hedland, Dampier and Carnarvon.
"The current market environment remains very difficult and tough decisions are needed to sustain our operations," a spokesman said. "We understand the impact on all involved and wish to reassure everyone that we considered all options before coming to this outcome."
The Dampier Salt job cuts are separate from the 800 positions the mining giant last month flagged would go from some of its biggest WA mine sites. It is understood the miner is in the final stages of that cull.
Rio's announcement is just one element of a wave of job cuts across mining and the oil and gas sector, as weak prices continue to bite.
Woodside Petroleum announced last month it was fast-tracking 300 redundancies in its 3800-strong workforce and Chevron confirmed its 4000-strong WA workforce should prepare for job cuts.
The contracting sector has also been heavily affected, with Macmahon Holdings flagging cuts.
