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| Indigenous workers on Inpex project given falsified certificates, say trainees | Indigenous workers on Inpex project given falsified certificates, say trainees |
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| Indigenous workers were given falsified skills certificates to operate dangerous machinery on the construction of the $34bn Inpex Ichthys gas project in Darwin and were never paid during a training course that received funding under a $3.4m contract from the federal government, employees allege. | Indigenous workers were given falsified skills certificates to operate dangerous machinery on the construction of the $34bn Inpex Ichthys gas project in Darwin and were never paid during a training course that received funding under a $3.4m contract from the federal government, employees allege. |
| It is also alleged that log books revealing the lack of experience hours were mysteriously lost, and that other Indigenous employees were claimed by the construction company Macmahon Holdings as trainees or apprentices to attract government funding, though the employees were not part of any program. | |
| Three current or former trainees working on the construction of the Blaydin Point liquid natural gas processing facility have told Guardian Australia they enrolled in an Indigenous training program and were asked to sign off on practical experience they had not had, so they could be quickly granted qualifications for working onsite. | Three current or former trainees working on the construction of the Blaydin Point liquid natural gas processing facility have told Guardian Australia they enrolled in an Indigenous training program and were asked to sign off on practical experience they had not had, so they could be quickly granted qualifications for working onsite. |
| The trainees are fearful of the implications of workers on this and future sites operating machinery they have not been trained for. | The trainees are fearful of the implications of workers on this and future sites operating machinery they have not been trained for. |
| “I was worried about going over to another company and having tickets and them expecting me to be able to operate,” said one, who requested her name be withheld. “I know that a lot of people do it and they just manage to wing it somehow without hurting anybody or killing anybody else or themselves. That was my biggest worry: being expected to do something that I didn’t know how to do.” | “I was worried about going over to another company and having tickets and them expecting me to be able to operate,” said one, who requested her name be withheld. “I know that a lot of people do it and they just manage to wing it somehow without hurting anybody or killing anybody else or themselves. That was my biggest worry: being expected to do something that I didn’t know how to do.” |
| The $34bn project to extract, process and export gas from the Browse basin off the Western Australian coast, is purported to be the largest single Japanese investment in Australia and will be one of the largest LNG projects in the world once completed. | The $34bn project to extract, process and export gas from the Browse basin off the Western Australian coast, is purported to be the largest single Japanese investment in Australia and will be one of the largest LNG projects in the world once completed. |
| Construction of the $340m onshore facilities development by Macmahon Holdings and John Holland Joint Venture was officially launched in May 2012 by then prime minister Julia Gillard, and will employ up to 3,000 people. The developer became John Holland Territoria Civil when John Holland’s parent company, Leighton Holdings, bought out the Macmahon construction ventures in September. | Construction of the $340m onshore facilities development by Macmahon Holdings and John Holland Joint Venture was officially launched in May 2012 by then prime minister Julia Gillard, and will employ up to 3,000 people. The developer became John Holland Territoria Civil when John Holland’s parent company, Leighton Holdings, bought out the Macmahon construction ventures in September. |
| The workforce includes a number of Indigenous Australians recruited through employment and training programs. | The workforce includes a number of Indigenous Australians recruited through employment and training programs. |
| The federal government entered into a $3.4m contract with Macmahon Holdings through the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) “to deliver 540 training places and 330 employment places for Indigenous Australians in various locations across Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory”, a spokesman for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet told Guardian Australia. | The federal government entered into a $3.4m contract with Macmahon Holdings through the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) “to deliver 540 training places and 330 employment places for Indigenous Australians in various locations across Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory”, a spokesman for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet told Guardian Australia. |
| The workers at the centre of the allegations signed on to the Macmahon-launched Real Opportunities and Careers – Kick Starting Today’s Aboriginal Role-models (Rockstar) program in 2012, and attended a six-week course held at the cross-training Larrakia Trade Training Centre, jointly funded by a land grant and $2m from the Larrakia Development Council and $3m from Inpex and its Ichthys Project joint venture partner Total. | The workers at the centre of the allegations signed on to the Macmahon-launched Real Opportunities and Careers – Kick Starting Today’s Aboriginal Role-models (Rockstar) program in 2012, and attended a six-week course held at the cross-training Larrakia Trade Training Centre, jointly funded by a land grant and $2m from the Larrakia Development Council and $3m from Inpex and its Ichthys Project joint venture partner Total. |
| One trainee told Guardian Australia, at the beginning of the full-time course she and her colleagues were informed they would not be paid, despite believing other Rockstar programs around the nation gave trainees an allowance. Instead, they were guaranteed employment on the Inpex construction site, she said. | One trainee told Guardian Australia, at the beginning of the full-time course she and her colleagues were informed they would not be paid, despite believing other Rockstar programs around the nation gave trainees an allowance. Instead, they were guaranteed employment on the Inpex construction site, she said. |
| Mick Huddy from the Northern Territory CFMEU told Guardian Australia the union was led to believe funding of up to $5,000 per person was made available for the six weeks. | Mick Huddy from the Northern Territory CFMEU told Guardian Australia the union was led to believe funding of up to $5,000 per person was made available for the six weeks. |
| “But the trainees saw none of that,” he said. “There was no food bought for them for their smoko or lunch breaks, nothing to compensate for their time, they were there for six weeks full time.” | “But the trainees saw none of that,” he said. “There was no food bought for them for their smoko or lunch breaks, nothing to compensate for their time, they were there for six weeks full time.” |
| Trainees then went onsite at Blaydin Point, signed up with Australian Apprenticeships to work on the construction of the Inpex onshore facilities. It was here that the trainees allege supervisors asked them to sign off on certificates saying they had completed practical experience on heavy duty machinery including graders, dozers, loaders and trucks, which they had not. The experience was a requirement of completing a certificate III in civil plant operations. | |
| “We did have log books but they didn’t have any hours in them for machines because we didn’t do any. They asked us for all our log books, then [the log books] mysteriously went missing,” said one employee. The log books were later discovered hidden under a desk in the company office, she said. | “We did have log books but they didn’t have any hours in them for machines because we didn’t do any. They asked us for all our log books, then [the log books] mysteriously went missing,” said one employee. The log books were later discovered hidden under a desk in the company office, she said. |
| Guardian Australia was told some trainees took the falsified certificates, presented at a graduation ceremony, and some went on to use machinery they were not qualified for. After trainees complained to management, some training was conducted onsite in November 2013 to get trainees up to speed on equipment they already had tickets for, it is believed. | Guardian Australia was told some trainees took the falsified certificates, presented at a graduation ceremony, and some went on to use machinery they were not qualified for. After trainees complained to management, some training was conducted onsite in November 2013 to get trainees up to speed on equipment they already had tickets for, it is believed. |
| A spokeswoman for John Holland told Guardian Australia the certificate III construction training program was investigated by senior management following concerns raised by trainees. | A spokeswoman for John Holland told Guardian Australia the certificate III construction training program was investigated by senior management following concerns raised by trainees. |
| “The investigation found deficiencies in the training program,” she said in a statement. “In consultation with relevant training authorities, we addressed these issues and training subsequently recommenced with stringent protocols in place. We believe this restructured training program will result in strong training outcomes for our [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander] trainees.” | “The investigation found deficiencies in the training program,” she said in a statement. “In consultation with relevant training authorities, we addressed these issues and training subsequently recommenced with stringent protocols in place. We believe this restructured training program will result in strong training outcomes for our [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander] trainees.” |
| Retraining was available to anyone who wanted it, she said. | Retraining was available to anyone who wanted it, she said. |
| The office of prime minister and cabinet, which now oversees the IEP, told Guardian Australia it was unaware of any internal investigation. | The office of prime minister and cabinet, which now oversees the IEP, told Guardian Australia it was unaware of any internal investigation. |
| “However, we are making further enquiries to ensure the organisation is delivering outcomes in accordance with its obligations under the Indigenous Employment Program contract,” a spokesman said. | “However, we are making further enquiries to ensure the organisation is delivering outcomes in accordance with its obligations under the Indigenous Employment Program contract,” a spokesman said. |
| It’s also alleged that Indigenous employees working onsite who are not connected to any training or employment program have received letters from the government suggesting their employer is claiming otherwise. | It’s also alleged that Indigenous employees working onsite who are not connected to any training or employment program have received letters from the government suggesting their employer is claiming otherwise. |
| “I was never a trainee, I wasn’t an apprentice. I got in on my own terms, and I was receiving letters from the Australian government asking how my Indigenous traineeship/apprenticeship was going with Macmahons,” one worker said. | “I was never a trainee, I wasn’t an apprentice. I got in on my own terms, and I was receiving letters from the Australian government asking how my Indigenous traineeship/apprenticeship was going with Macmahons,” one worker said. |
| A letter from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, seen by Guardian Australia, reads: “According to our records you participated in or are still participating in an apprenticeship or traineeship with or arranged by Macmahon Holdings Ltd. | A letter from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, seen by Guardian Australia, reads: “According to our records you participated in or are still participating in an apprenticeship or traineeship with or arranged by Macmahon Holdings Ltd. |
| “This employer was participating under the Indigenous Employment Program ... We would like to know what you thought of the assistance that was provided.” | “This employer was participating under the Indigenous Employment Program ... We would like to know what you thought of the assistance that was provided.” |
| “I rang that department and I was asking what the letter was about,” said the employee the letter was addressed to. | “I rang that department and I was asking what the letter was about,” said the employee the letter was addressed to. |
| “They just told me ‘just fill it out and send it back in’. I was trying to tell them I’m not a trainee, and they said it doesn’t matter, just fill it in and send it back.” | “They just told me ‘just fill it out and send it back in’. I was trying to tell them I’m not a trainee, and they said it doesn’t matter, just fill it in and send it back.” |
| Huddy confirmed the union had been approached by employees with these claims. | Huddy confirmed the union had been approached by employees with these claims. |
| “So one would be led to believe that [the company] is claiming funding for Indigenous people that aren’t even in the traineeship,” he said. | “So one would be led to believe that [the company] is claiming funding for Indigenous people that aren’t even in the traineeship,” he said. |
| Huddy said there should be an independent investigation. | Huddy said there should be an independent investigation. |
| “Especially, number one, is the massive safety issue, asking to sign off on plants they haven’t touched. More concerning is people that aren’t even in traineeships. Someone’s receiving money. Someone’s receiving funding for these traineeships when people aren’t even in traineeships.” | “Especially, number one, is the massive safety issue, asking to sign off on plants they haven’t touched. More concerning is people that aren’t even in traineeships. Someone’s receiving money. Someone’s receiving funding for these traineeships when people aren’t even in traineeships.” |
| A letter of complaint written by a trainee was sent to a number of media and government representatives at the end of last year, but no replies were received. The minister for Indigenous affairs, Nigel Scullion, who was sent the letter, did not respond to a request for comment from Guardian Australia. | A letter of complaint written by a trainee was sent to a number of media and government representatives at the end of last year, but no replies were received. The minister for Indigenous affairs, Nigel Scullion, who was sent the letter, did not respond to a request for comment from Guardian Australia. |
| Questions for Australian Apprenticeships were referred by the Department of Industry to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, who referred Guardian Australia back to the Department of Industry. |