Serious questions for FMG

Mining mogul Twiggy Forrest and the Fortescue Metals Group are no strangers to issues Indigenous. Whether fighting native title battles to build mines in the nation’s west, to promoting the employment of Indigenous people Twiggy has always had a lot to say.

“I know that Aboriginal people have every bit the ability any of us in this room have, and I know for sure they work as hard and when they come on board and join your company they will add value to your business,” Mr Forrest said in 2010

Earning Billions, Paying Peanuts and still complaining!

With companies who deal in Billions of dollars adding value is both in finding cheap resources that can be sold at inflated prices in the International market and by finding bargain basement labour that can dig it out of the ground for you. In the Indigenous community FMG has now found both. Buying resources from traditional land owners for peanuts (because any more would be welfare) and then selling them on for billions. Now today the ABC reports that FMG have found the answer to the labour side of the equation. Why pay people a few hundred thousand a year to fly in and fly out of your mine site when you can pay Indigenous “trainees” 50 bux and a day, not provide them accommodation or the ability to fly home.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-17/pilbara-mining-trainees-doing-it-tough/2843524

Maybe the ABC has it wrong, maybe the workers denied a chance to speak on camera by their supervisor would give a glowing report of FMG, working in the mines on the cheap and sleeping rough. Or maybe they weren’t allowed to speak because their answers would be something we don’t want to hear? That there are Aboriginal men, working hard in the mines, trying to further their education and in return being paid much much less than their white counter parts.

Whatever the case, the WA and Federal Government must get to the bottom of it. And in the context of great pushes by mining companies such as FMG to grab traditional lands for their own benefit this must be done now!

Don’t abandon Aboriginal homelands (Amnesty Campaign)

Aboriginal families are strongest when they can stay connected to their homelands – but right now the government is stripping funds for essential services from traditional Aboriginal homelands.

Homelands are communities established so that Aboriginal people can maintain connection with their traditional, ancestral land. These communities have lower levels of social problems and significantly better health outcomes, and are home to around a third of the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory.

Joycie Jones Pitjara and driver in a four-wheel drive used to deliver health services to the remote Utopia homelands community. © Mervyn Bishop/AI

Sign the visual petition and tell the government: respect Aboriginal country and culture!

Each name is represented as an individual tile. The picture will be complete once Amnesty reach 10,000 names. Add yours now and ask the government not to abandon homelands. Amnesty will deliver your message directly to the Utopia community to show Australia’s support for homelands.

 http://www.amnesty.org.au/indigenous-rights/dontabandonhomelands/?

National Aboriginal & Islander Children’s Day

National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day is celebrated on 4 August each year.

The 2011 National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day theme is :
“From small to big: growing stronger every day”.

Introduction

National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day (NAICD) is a celebration of our children. Held on 4 August each year, NAICD was first observed by SNAICC in 1988. Each year SNAICC produces and sends out resources to help you celebrate NAICD. The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) is the national non government peak body in Australia representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Celebrate our children

All those who support children, including early childhood services, teachers, educators, foster carers, welfare workers, policy makers and government are encouraged to take a break from their normal routine and organise activities involving children and families. Such local events celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and reinforce how important it is for their wellbeing to be connected to culture.

For more information visit:- http://www.snaicc.asn.au