How properly implemented flexible work arrangements can offer many benefits to both employers and employees At many resource industry corporate offices and project sites across Australia, recruitment and human resources practices have been overhauled in a concerted effort to attract and retain greater numbers of women. Today, leaders largely see having a diversity and inclusion strategy as imperative to increasing female participation. The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) is Read More

An examination of iron ore market forces and their relationship with producers Since 2014, a challenging operating environment has developed for iron ore producers. Prices have declined and growth in demand has fallen short of forecasts. Within Australia, there has been some controversy over the reasons behind these new market conditions. In particular, there has been significant media and political comment that major local iron ore producers may have manipulated the market to drive out Read More

New evidence highlights a number of opportunities to target and reduce gender pay gaps across Australian organisations, including those in the minerals sector Despite major advances for women in both educational attainment and workforce participation, the gender pay gap remains a permanent fixture of the Australian labour market, with the full-time gender pay gap remaining at or around 20 per cent for more than two decades. The pay gap currently stands at around 18 per cent, with women Read More

As mining company profits continue to be affected by the uncertainty in the global economy, the industry is on a quest for innovation to help increase productivity The mining industry tends to be slow in adopting new technology, but given the state of the industry, change is paramount in order to survive. By employing new technologies used by other industries, mining companies can better manage their businesses and their bottom line. We can learn from the way other industries use Read More

Poor management of working capital can lead to companies leaving cash in the ground Sustained low commodity prices, and a focus shifting from capital project delivery to moving down the cost curve, have driven a sharp focus on cutting costs and improving productivity in the mining sector. However, many mining companies and individual sites are missing out on ‘easy money’ because of poor working capital management. A recent EY report, Make working capital work for you: Unlocking cash in the Read More

How the mining equipment, technology and services sector will help drive the sustainability of the minerals industry Fast-forward 20 years and picture what a mine will look like in Australia. Will it have people in it? Will it be just a small hole in the ground with a remotely guided robot undertaking precision extraction? Or will most mining take place in an urban setting and involve secondary metal recovery from things that are thrown away on a daily basis? For the mining equipment, Read More