tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/fifo-3445/articlesFIFO – The Conversation2019-12-23T20:18:41Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1256412019-12-23T20:18:41Z2019-12-23T20:18:41ZHow to support children whose parent works away for long periods<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305582/original/file-20191206-183392-n2s04i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C287%2C5883%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Families can use various strategies to keep children connected with a parent who's away for work.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Orsan Elitok</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s not always possible for families to be together during the Christmas holidays if one parent is working away for several days. They could be on a tour of duty for the Australian Defence Force or in a fly-in, fly-out mining position.</p>
<p>Other jobs, such as those in long-distance transport, firefighting, seasonal agriculture and other occupations, can also regularly take a parent away from home.</p>
<p>Such types of work can be challenging for those seeking a good <a href="https://www.oecd.org/statistics/Better-Life-Initiative-country-note-Australia.pdf">work-life balance</a>. The parent who works away <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/49542969" title="Military people won’t ask for help : experiences of deployment of Australian Defence Force personnel, their families, and implications for social work">misses out on time with family</a>, which can be especially difficult with younger children.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-parents-can-help-their-kids-take-risks-and-why-its-good-for-them-120576">Five ways parents can help their kids take risks – and why it’s good for them</a>
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<p>But there are things families can do to support children when one parent is away.</p>
<h2>Home alone</h2>
<p>Previous research has found <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/children-australia/article/parents-perspectives-of-their-childrens-reactions-to-an-australian-military-deployment/2262EBEDBD0BCD2D5156474803060B25" title="Parents’ Perspectives of their Children's Reactions to an Australian Military Deployment">young children in military families repond in various ways</a> to prolonged separation from a parent.</p>
<p><a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1018364.pdf" title="How Wartime Military Service Affects Children and Families">Physical responses</a> include disturbed sleep (nightmares, unable to self-settle, taking longer to fall asleep) and regressions in toileting and feeding. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/having-problems-with-your-kids-tantrums-bed-wetting-or-withdrawal-heres-when-to-get-help-125299">Having problems with your kid's tantrums, bed-wetting or withdrawal? Here's when to get help</a>
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<p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-25070-020" title="When a parent goes to war: Effects of parental deployment on very young children and implications for intervention">Emotional responses</a> can be an increase in tears, anger, outbursts and withdrawing to avoid further hurt.</p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10591-011-9144-8" title="Community Family Therapy with Military Families Experiencing Deployment">Social responses</a> include children struggling with daily routines. They might be less likely to cope with the normal frustrations that happen when playing with friends and siblings. Clingy behaviour with adults may also occur, which isolates children from their friends.</p>
<p>The good news is parents can support their young children in a number of ways to build resilience. Families shared these ideas in my research.</p>
<h2>The power of narratives</h2>
<p>Some programs <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cha.2016.8" title="Narrative, Acculturation and Ritual: Themes from a Socio-ecological Study of Australian Defence Force Families Experiencing Parental Deployment">recommend</a> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10567-011-0096-1" title="Mechanisms of Risk and Resilience in Military Families: Theoretical and Empirical Basis of a Family-Focused Resilience Enhancement Program">developing a family narrative</a>. These narratives might be a simple sentence children can use when asked about their absent parent.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mum went away on a plane. She is coming home on a plane three sleeps after Easter.</p>
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<p>Here is a family narrative a 2.5-year-old child told me:</p>
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<p>I miss my daddy. He in Afghanistan. I not go Afghanistan. Mummy not go Afghanistan. Only Daddy go Afghanistan.</p>
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<p>Positive activities that nurture a child’s emotional connection with a parent who is away are also important.</p>
<p>This includes encouraging children to draw a picture of an activity they are looking forward to doing with their parent when they return, such as going swimming or visiting the local park.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307311/original/file-20191217-124036-10874oq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Encourage a child to draw a picture of a family activity with the parent who is away.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/kwanchai c</span></span>
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<p>The parent at home can help by writing down what the picture represents. This can be put in a parcel to send to the parent who is away. Keeping a copy of the drawing can help with communication between the child and the returned parent on reunion. They can discuss and plan family activities together.</p>
<p>With help, children can also write emails and postcards, even record voice or video messages about what they miss, how they feel and what they’re looking forward to doing when the parent gets back.</p>
<p>The parent who works away can also pre-prepare some short video stories about what they liked doing as a child, something they enjoy now and what they hope to do when they return. These can then be played at home when contact is not possible.</p>
<p>Homemade resources children can use to self-soothe when they are missing their parent are useful. These could include a small photo album of the parent and child, a recordable story book with their parent’s voice, or a video of the parent reading them some stories.</p>
<p>Make a time-line sticker chart children can personalise to count off the days. It could start with when the parent left, then include holidays and birthdays, and end when they will return.</p>
<h2>Getting support</h2>
<p>My <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/27664" title="Recommendations from the findings on young children from Australian Defence Force families">research</a>, which explored the experiences of children aged two to five in 11 Australian Defence Force families, found parents left at at home caring for children can feel unsupported. </p>
<p>There is a lack of available resources to help them have conversations with their young children about the parent working away.</p>
<p>One parent said: </p>
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<p>Look, you are just on your own when the kids are young, before they go to school. There is nothing out there. </p>
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Read more:
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<p>To address this gap, I’ve created two free ebooks, based on the experiences of defence families: <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/DCO/_Master/documents/Books/Roses-Story.pdf">Waiting for Daddy</a> and <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/DCO/_Master/documents/Books/Anthonys-Story.pdf">Now that I am big</a>. Although defence-focused, they should be useful to any family that has a parent frequently away from home.</p>
<p>Social media support groups organised informally by parents and other organisations can help support families working in various industries. These include <a href="https://www.miningfm.com.au/">Mining Family Matters</a>, <a href="https://www.australianmining.com.au/features/world-first-a-self-help-book-for-mining-families/">Australian Mining</a>, <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/dco/">Defence Community Organisation</a>, <a href="https://dfa.org.au/">Defence Families Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/Health/HealthPortal/">Department of Defence</a>.</p>
<p>Research shows <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145.html" title="Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions">good early intervention programs make a big difference</a> to children’s healthy development and their ability to thrive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marg Rogers works for the University of New England, Australia. Our team receives funding from The Ian Potter Foundation to create two programs for educators and parents of 2-5 year olds from defence force families. We do not get paid to do the research by the funding body, instead, the funding helps to pay for the costs of the project.</span></em></p>While many families are busy planning how to spend their time together this Christmas holiday season, others are planning how to manage their time apart.Marg Rogers, Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/435432015-06-19T06:11:31Z2015-06-19T06:11:31ZMisleading reporting disguises need to protect FIFO workers<p>The Western Australian parliamentary inquiry into mental health issues associated with fly-in fly out (FIFO) work, has made <a href="http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/commit.nsf/%28Report+Lookup+by+Com+ID%29/2E970A7A4934026448257E67002BF9D1/$file/20150617%20-%20Final%20Report%20w%20signature%20for%20website.pdf">several important recommendations</a>, so it’s a shame that some of the reporting has tended to focus on a misleading aspect of mental health. </p>
<p>The inquiry, in response to nine apparent suicides by FIFO workers in WA within 12 months, has recommended developing a Code of Practice on FIFO work, addressing issues of rostering, the contribution of fatigue to mental health issues, and anti-bullying strategies.</p>
<p>Improved data on FIFO workers and reporting of mental health and suicide was recommended, along with the extension of occupational health and safety provisions to living arrangements. Long term research is needed on mental health and FIFO work, but the committee importantly noted that risks must be mitigated in the meantime.</p>
<p>Similar to other recent public inquiries on psychosocial issues at work (for example, the NSW legislative council inquiry into <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/96C613D305E4D132CA257CFB008208BF?open&refnavid=CO4_1">bullying at Workcover NSW</a> and the <a href="http://www.hwlebsworth.com.au/csiro-investigation.html">CSIRO inquiry</a>), the committee recognised the necessity for organisations to “own” the problem so as to manage the risks.</p>
<p>Sadly, some of the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-18/fifo-work-can-lead-to-heightened-risk-of-mental-health-issues/6556138">reporting</a> on the inquiry has focused on how the FIFO workforce comprises members of society whose demographics put them at greater risk of mental illness. Reports have led with the observation that men aged 20-45 are most at risk of mental health problems, and that men aged 20-45 comprise much of the FIFO workforce.</p>
<p>This is not the most interesting, nor important part of the inquiry. And it’s a bit misleading.</p>
<p>Men aged 20-45 are employed in all industries, doing all sorts of jobs, all over the country. Clearly, there is something about the work, and the work environment, that is problematic.</p>
<p>The committee itself makes this clear, rejecting arguments about some people being better suited to FIFO work than others. Rather, the committee notes, “the emphasis should be on tailoring FIFO roles to accommodate the mental health needs of workers”.</p>
<p>Viewing these problems as an interaction between individuals and work systems is more consistent with the frameworks common to workplace health and safety practice.</p>
<p>A focus on vulnerability, by contrast, fuels the rhetoric that organisations have little contribution to psychosocial outcomes at work.</p>
<p>In turn that helps legitimise “low-hanging fruit” responses.</p>
<p>Psychosocial issues at work are frequently tackled by providing more support, wellness programs, resilience training, or counselling, mentorship, and the like.</p>
<p>These are fine in and of themselves. But they don’t address the hazards that are the core of the problem. Organisations have a duty to control hazards as far as reasonably practicable. Hazards in the case of FIFO work include the scheduling of shifts, the arrangement of tasks and breaks, and aspects of the work, social, and living environment. </p>
<p>This is what we should be talking about – not just that lots of FIFO workers are men of a certain age, and that men of a certain age have high rates of mental health issues.</p>
<p>While a focus on vulnerability is misguided, another part of the problem is that we don’t talk about workplace safety enough.</p>
<p>We tend to sporadically talk about workplace suicides, once a pattern is evident. They are shocking, and tragic. Workplace suicide statistics are <a href="http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/16/Suppl_1/A272.1.abstract">notoriously slippery</a>, as the WA inquiry has found. There is a long history of debate over whether suicides are work-related or not (see, for instance, the <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/7E1C5F2F6AD04129CA25744A000801E5">NSW Ambulance inquiry</a>). The location of the death – at work, or not – and the perceived extent to which work contributed to it are considered and debated in each particular case.</p>
<p>Improved databases and reporting will help, but we need to remember that suicide is among the most extreme psychosocial outcomes. The incidence and nature of other workplace injuries, physical and psychological, remains largely off the radar of the average citizen.</p>
<p>We don’t even talk about workplace fatalities. Sadly, they are predictably common. This year, <a href="http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/statistics/work-related-fatalities/pages/worker-fatalities">67 Australians have been killed at work</a>, according to Safe Work Australia. </p>
<p>That’s about one every two and a half days. It’s unacceptable. That’s why we need to be better informed about how workplace accidents happen, what controls need to be put in place, and who has responsibility for these controls.</p>
<p>Reading the full FIFO inquiry report delivers on some of these issues. We keep missing opportunities to open the conversation on workplace safety, to educate managers, young workers, and the public, about what matters.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.homeinsulationroyalcommission.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx">home insulation scheme</a> was a prime example. Young people died. Serious, unacceptable failures to provide a safe system of work (through training, supervision etc) were lost in the politics. Nobody learnt anything.</p>
<p>There are lessons in the FIFO inquiry for all workplaces, regardless of their shift arrangements, and opportunities for reflection on how our community views, and values, our safety at work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43543/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carlo Caponecchia has performed consultancy work for Safe Work Australia. </span></em></p>Important recommendations made by the WA parliamentary inquiry to protect fly-in fly-out workers have been sadly over-shadowed by shallow reporting.Carlo Caponecchia, Senior Lecturer, School of Aviation, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/402292015-04-15T20:37:44Z2015-04-15T20:37:44ZFortescue’s roster changes signal waning of the cashed-up FIFO era<p>Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group will <a href="http://www.fmgl.com.au/UserDir/AsxAnnouncement/ASX%20Release%202015%2004%2014%20-%20Organisational%20review%20leads%20to%20roster%20changes%20Final825.pdf">change</a> their rostering system in an effort to drive down their wages bill.</p>
<p>It’s a move likely to be seen as good news by shareholders, and made as iron ore prices fall, demand for commodities softens, growth in China <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-economy-to-slow-hurting-australia-imf-40150">slows</a> and as ratings agencies like Standard and Poor place big miners on <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/fortescues-roster-changes-may-trim-costs-but-wont-turn-fortunes/story-e6frg9lo-1227304018697">ratings watch</a>.</p>
<p>Under the changes, Fortescue’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers who previously worked eight days on, six days off will be shifted to a 14 days on, seven days off roster. </p>
<p>Understandably, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/fmg-roster-changes-in-bid-to-cut-costs/6390820">unions</a> representing mining workers are not happy about the change.</p>
<p>But the changes will save the company money, and may signal a trend across the whole industry that might have flow-on effects for regional economies. </p>
<h2>Roster changes</h2>
<p>Mining workforces are large and costly. Since the move away from establishing mining towns, most mining companies use fly-in, fly-out workers. In Western Australia, these workers are predominantly based in Perth, although some workers have their home base interstate or overseas, including Bali. </p>
<p>The old eight days on site, six days at home (8/6) roster is the most generous and costly of the FIFO rosters. Workers work for 26 weeks per year (fewer if they take holidays). They require 26 return flights per annum each. </p>
<p>The new roster would see workers work two weeks on site and one week at home (14/7). Workers on this roster work for 34 weeks per year and require 18 return flights per year each. </p>
<p>Changing from a 8/6 roster (26 return flights per annum) to a 14/7 roster (about 18 return flights per annum) should save eight return flights per worker per year. This might be sizeable given the size of the FIFO workforce at each mine and the number of iron ore mines owned by Fortescue. </p>
<p>However, there is probably more sick leave and attrition with a 14/7 roster compared with a 8/6 roster. So the flight savings would need to be adjusted by the increased cost of sick leave provision and the higher turnover. </p>
<p>Some workers offered the new roster may choose to leave the sector altogether – a concern flagged by the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/fortescue-metals-roster-changes-could-cost-more-than-700-pilbara-jobs-20150414-1mkqd1.html">union</a>.</p>
<p>New employees are costly – they need orientation, on the job training, and high vis gear. Companies would want to minimise staff turnover to save on these costs.</p>
<p>If the iron ore price stays low, and Fortescue cannot reduce costs by changing the FIFO shift roster or other labour on-costs, then returns to shareholders will continue to fall. This could mean mine closures and therefore worker redundancies. </p>
<p>Overall, a cost saving from a roster change allows Fortescue Metals Group to keep mines open and workers employed – surely a better option for the workers than being laid off altogether.</p>
<h2>The future of the FIFO</h2>
<p>Fortescue’s roster changes may signal a trend for the iron ore companies or other miners. Once they see profits being eroded through price or reduced demand, they too will be looking to reduce costs and this seems to be a simple way to do it.</p>
<p>Further weakening economic growth in China, down from 13% per annum prior to the GFC to under 7% per annum, lower prices and falling sales will squeeze profits unless firms - Fortescue and other companies that mine iron ore – can reduce costs. </p>
<p>The mining industry is not talking, at present, about the return to establishing mining towns – government subsidised outposts with schools and health services to allow workers and their families to live close to mines. </p>
<p>Asking for financial support from State governments today is unlikely to be fruitful, especially in Western Australia with the Barnett government closing remote Aboriginal communities (a potential source of drive-in, drive-out workers for the resource sector) and tightening the purse strings. Recent announcements of the downgrading of WA’s credit rating could exacerbate this belt tightening.</p>
<p>That suggests miners will, by and large, continue to rely on FIFO workers. But the era of cashed-up FIFO workers collecting six-figure salaries and generous perks may be drawing to a close.</p>
<p>Initially the 8/6 roster was part of a generous package designed to entice skilled tradesmen into the mining sector. But now the sector has more than enough skilled trades people queueing up to work at mines. We also have the 457 visas that allows skilled overseas workers to work these jobs.</p>
<p>The days of the phenomenally generous salaries for FIFO mine workers are probably gone. Salaries may be wound back. And as the FIFO workers on those generous packages leave and are replaced, the replacement workers may be offered lower salaries and less generous rosters. It’s a simple matter of healthy supply and weak demand.</p>
<h2>Flow-on effects</h2>
<p>The picture for regional economies is mixed.</p>
<p>On the one hand, it’s possible that workers on the new 14/7 roster will now find they have the opportunity to leave mine sites and drive into the local big town and spend money there. On an 8/6 roster, they would be less likely to do that. So there could be a bonus for regional communities.</p>
<p>But fewer flights would mean less spending at regional airports and less money going to regional carriers. </p>
<p>It’s premature to say we are seeing the end of the FIFO worker but it’s likely that the era of highly paid jobs in the mining industry is on the wane.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/40229/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Giles has received funding from faculty funding from ECU and funding from the ARC.</span></em></p>Proposed changes to Fortescue Metals Group’s rostering system may signal a trend across the whole industry that could have flow-on effects for regional economies.Margaret Giles, Senior Lecturer in the School of Business, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/198542013-11-22T04:38:31Z2013-11-22T04:38:31ZFly-in fly-out worth the pain, for some: study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/34621/original/hfmrjx7j-1383790794.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Workers fly in and out of mines like this one in the Pilbara, bringing financial security but anxiety to their local communities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Rebecca Le May</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The high profile phenomenon of fly-in fly-out workers has gained widespread attention as a unique social phenomenon since the start of the mineral boom – and it has major implications for the well-being of the workers, their families and their communities.</p>
<p>To find out exactly what is going on, and how it affects communities, we have been testing many of the anecdotal submissions made to the <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=ra/fifodido/report.htm">House of Representatives Enquiry into FIFO (fly-in/fly-out) Work Arrangements</a>. </p>
<p>In our latest study, we looked at the effects on the communities which supply the workers, using Mandurah and Busselton in WA as case studies.</p>
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<span class="caption">Busselton and Mandurah in south west Western Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google Maps</span></span>
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<p>Busselton and Mandurah are sea change communities, attracting a high percentage of part time residents often transitioning to retirement as well as retirees, many on fixed incomes. Mandurah is also increasingly identified as part of the greater metropolitan area of Perth. Busselton in the south west region of Western Australia is 230 km from Perth.</p>
<p>Both have experienced rapid population growth in recent decades, but the local economies aren’t doing well and many residents travel elsewhere to earn a livelihood. The Perth-Mandurah route is now one of the largest work commuter corridors in Australia.</p>
<p>There have been lots of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mobile-workers-in-full-flight-20130916-2tveh.html">media reports</a> in recent years highlighting the many negative effects of long-distance commuting arrangements. However, our study found that the presence of a long distance commuter resident population does have disproportionate local effects at a number of different levels.</p>
<p>It is difficult to know exactly how many people from both communities commute long distances to work because definitive data on the mobility of a long distance commuting workforce is difficult to obtain. The ABS does not collect information specific to that workforce and there are also obstacles to obtaining comprehensive workforce data from companies sourcing labour from a given area.</p>
<p>However, long distance commuters earn considerably more than local workers. Interviewees indicated that the difference between working long distance and spending regular blocks away from home, as opposed to working in an equivalent position locally, carried an annual salary premium of around $40,000.</p>
<p>The research found that many long distance commuters are committed to a long distance commuting and block-roster lifestyle, and they and their families cope well with it.</p>
<p>How long the block of work is, and the regularity of time off, as well as other factors, strongly affect sense of wellbeing and the ability to transition smoothly between home and work.</p>
<p>But not everyone was able to switch to that lifestyle. Those who didn’t like the block rosters, or whose families didn’t cope well with the arrangements often left their FIFO job.</p>
<p>A number of the people we spoke to said they intensely disliked aspects of the workplace or lifestyle, but felt trapped by heavy financial commitments made on the basis of a high income, or by the lack of viable employment alternatives in their home community.</p>
<p>This research was not restricted to the long distance commuters. We also interviewed their spouse. We found their experience as the primary homemaker was often key to the success of the work arrangement. Their approaches to managing intermittent contact, fatigue, and loneliness and intermittent single parenting often determined whether the arrangement was short lived or long term.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>FIFO is not for everyone, but it suits us. We miss [spouse] and he misses things too – birthdays and Christmas every other year, but there are definitely benefits. We have him all to ourselves all week, for every other week throughout the year. When we had the farm, we struggled and we never got ahead. Now, the stress levels are manageable and we have some good times. FIFO is good. – Spouse of a FIFO worker</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/34622/original/chkfv4qk-1383791215.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Far from home: Workers at the new Fortescue mine in the Pilbara fly home with full wallets, but say they are sometimes singled out by their community.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP&#x2F;Rebecca Le May</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also found the growth of long distancing commuting has placed additional demands on social services in both Mandurah and Busselton. This is likely a result of rapid population growth rather than a disproportionate demand from the long distance commuters.</p>
<p>Most long distance families managed to work through the challenges of their chosen lifestyle. Where there were relationship problems, mental health issues or issues with substance abuse however, long distance commuting was likely to exacerbate them. It is vital to the wellbeing of this vulnerable group that there are adequate supports in place in the workplace and in the home community.</p>
<p>Providing support services for people working outside a 9-5 working week is a growing and urgent challenge. The growth of LDC has occurred alongside other structural changes in workforce arrangements, such as deregulated trading hours. Service providers we interviewed identified a need to work closely with companies to extend and adapt a number of services to meet the particular needs of long distance commuters.</p>
<p>Long distance commuting provides new opportunities for aesthetically appealing regional centres – such as Mandurah and Busselton that have attracted disproportionately large sea/tree change populations – to build local economies and consolidate population levels.</p>
<p>Long distance commuter source communities can gain directly from the higher incomes their commuters repatriate and from the indirect multiplier effects.</p>
<p>These are not easy to capture. Money spent locally bolsters local businesses and is likely to be re-spent in the local economy.</p>
<p>Although many long distance commuters said they shopped locally for everyday goods many were also inclined to go further afield for larger items. This was mainly due to lack of choice and price.</p>
<p>But there were also signs of underlying social tensions related to a widening gap between the ‘haves’ (who go away to work and bring back higher than average salaries), and the ‘have nots’ (on lower, local salaries), that were reported in a number of submissions to the House of Representatives FIFO Work Practices Inquiry.</p>
<p>Many interviewees expressed resentment at being expected to pay a premium as a long distance commuter:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I never tell a tradesman who comes to the house to give us a quote that we are a FIFO family because it is well known around here that they will jack up the price. Everyone thinks we can afford to pay because we are on a mine salary. – Spouse of FIFO worker</p>
<p>I get sick of people telling me I can afford to donate to this or that around town. When I am home, I keep a low profile if I can, or shop in [regional centre] where no one knows who I am or where I work. They don’t harass me about what I can or can’t afford. – FIFO worker</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On the other hand, parts of the wider community are wary of a growing FIFO consumer culture in their midst.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We really enjoy having the nice things that [a mine salary] brings, but gee, I get sick of the snide remarks. – FIFO worker</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many long distance commuters in the Busselton area were older and appreciated the opportunity to bolster their superannuation or savings. “Thanks to this job, I can look forward to a comfortable retirement in a place I only ever dreamed about. For the first time in our working lives, my [spouse] and I are not struggling,” one worker told us.</p>
<p>Our examination of the changing social and economic dynamics in regional communities with growing long distance commuting populations, has highlighted the need for creative and flexible approaches to deal with the specific and very real challenges posed.</p>
<p>Long distance commuting opens up new possibilities for aesthetically appealing but economically weak regional centres such as Mandurah and Busselton. But realising this potential will require ongoing collaboration between companies, governments and community and business associations.</p>
<p>Our research also indicates a role for: improved pre-employment preparation for long distance commute workers; tailored orientation programmes for spouse, and direct ongoing communication to them about worker and spouse benefits and entitlements; and, the adaptation of existing support services to accommodate the particular needs of long distance commuters.</p>
<p>Long distance commuting has provided individuals and communities considerable benefits and opportunities but it also brings with it challenges which need to be carefully managed at all levels if the benefits are to be enduring.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/19854/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aileen Hoath and Fiona McKenzie receive funding from the Australian Research Council for this research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Data used in this research was provided by the Cities of Busselton and Mandurah, as well as other agencies throughout Western Australia. Data was also provided by Rio Tinto and Newmont Asia Pacific, as well as the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.</span></em></p>The high profile phenomenon of fly-in fly-out workers has gained widespread attention as a unique social phenomenon since the start of the mineral boom – and it has major implications for the well-being…Aileen Hoath, Research fellow, Curtin Business School , Curtin UniversityFiona McKenzie, Professor, Graduate School of Business, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/126232013-03-07T00:11:27Z2013-03-07T00:11:27ZWestern Australia election: FIFO vote<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/20975/original/689ncdx5-1362461690.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When it comes to the polls, FIFO workers are most likely to vote for the party which will support their industry.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wesfarmers</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In Western Australia business is booming for the mining and resources sector. The number of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers employed in the state has increased over the last five years to more than <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/airport-booths-aim-to-capture-fifo-voters/story-e6frgczx-1226582253210">35,000</a>. As a growing part of the electorate, where will the FIFO workers vote go in Saturday’s state election?</p>
<p>There are many factors that determine political affiliation and voting behaviour, including the economy and personal income. As some of the highest-paid workers in the state, these issues lie particularly close to the heart and minds of FIFO workers.</p>
<p>Traditionally tradies, transport workers, and labourers are more likely to vote for Labor as are <a href="http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/list-overview/the-world-of-union-heavies">union members</a>. Although union membership has been dropping consistently since the 1960s political affiliation seems to be stable.
On the other hand, high earners are more likely to vote for the coalition with lower earners supporting Labor, a pattern that is more evident for men than women. </p>
<p>In the male dominated and high-paid world of FIFO work this places many employees in a unique position. Professionally one might expect their vote to swing to Labor, but from an earning perspective it could swing to the Liberal party.</p>
<p>With a close election the focus may then be on the swing voter as younger, foreign-born, and male voters more likely to switch allegiances. Foreign born FIFO workers who have claimed citizenship could be swayed to change their vote as could younger workers.</p>
<p>The carbon tax, already unpopular with <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-13/mining-groups-warns-on-carbon-tax-impact/3569636">industry</a>, could be perceived as a threat specifically to mining but also to Australia’s overall economic prosperity. While the removal of support in the form of <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/About_the_House_News/Latest_News/SCRA-130213">tax breaks</a> for FIFO workers is certainly a threat to the lifestyle and benefits that come at a cost.</p>
<p>Typically the adage “let the good times roll” seems to apply, with strong economic performance helping to maintain the status quo while increases in inflation are most likely to lead to a change of government. </p>
<p>But as a high-income democracy the impact of economic factors on Australian voting isn’t particularly strong. This may arise from the perception that the government has limited power to influence Australia’s economic performance. With the advent of the Global Financial Crisis it’s possible that voters are well aware that governments have limited ability to influence global economics.</p>
<p>Other factors such as growth in China and the demand for Australia’s mineral wealth combined with the strong Australian dollar are likely to place the onus on the mining industry and socio-political events beyond the west coast. There’s the further point that retrospective economic performance seems to be more important to voters than future performance. In other words, it’s more important how well we have fared through the Global Financial Crisis than how well we think we will do in the aftermath. But this might not be the same for all FIFO employees.</p>
<p>At the end of the day the voting decision for FIFO workers is likely to come down to two factors; threat and support. </p>
<p>Which party is seen as presenting the biggest threat to the economy, and in particular mining, oil and gas? And which party is going to support the FIFO lifestyle? </p>
<p>The release of the parliamentary <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=ra/fifodido/media.htm">inquiry</a> into the effect of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out work practices on regional Australia, branding FIFO as the “<a href="http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/16134501/fifo-cancer-of-the-bush/">cancer of the bush</a>”, and the political response has the potential for wide reaching repercussions including a change in government. </p>
<p>During the 2009 Western Australian referendum 6,763 <a href="https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/documents/Media_release_20022013.pdf">votes</a> were cast at booths in Perth’s domestic airport terminals and the Western Australian electoral commission are expecting an increase in numbers this year. Ahead of the election seven mine site polling booths and six airport booths have already been set up for FIFO voters. </p>
<p>It seems the biggest influence on the FIFO workers vote will be the incumbent government’s response to the parliamentary inquiry, carbon tax and an increasing federal deficit. Meanwhile, the opposition will wait quietly in the wings, trying not to say the wrong thing and the industrial giants bide their time before choosing sides.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/12623/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Graeme Ditchburn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In Western Australia business is booming for the mining and resources sector. The number of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers employed in the state has increased over the last five years to more than 35,000…Graeme Ditchburn, Academic Chair - Organisational Psychology, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/99982013-01-16T19:52:37Z2013-01-16T19:52:37ZMining, fly-in, fly-out workers and the risk of suicide<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18516/original/rmk66rvn-1355114898.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Governments, industry and communities must work together to address suicide risk factors for FIFO/DIDO workers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Bagus Indahono</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Barely a week passes without media coverage of some aspect of the real or perceived impacts of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) work, especially in the mining sector. We hear about the lack of affordable housing, relationship breakdowns, mental illness, under-resourced and over-stretched local services – the list goes on.</p>
<p>For more than 15 months, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia has been <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ra/fifodido/tor.htm">inquiring into the use of FIFO/DIDO workforces</a> in regional Australia. The inquiry has received <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ra/fifodido/subs.htm">evidence for various efficiencies and benefits</a> of FIFO/DIDO practices, but it is also clear that policymakers, service providers, and communities want the possible downside of FIFO/DIDO work properly managed.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, there is an increasing focus on possible links between FIFO/DIDO work and suicide. But despite intense interest and sometimes heated public debate, as well as stories emerging from support groups and communities, there has been very little scientific study of possible connections between FIFO/DIDO work and suicide.</p>
<p>There are no solid, up-to date-statistics on suicide rates among FIFO/DIDO workers and their families, or within specific communities that have a high number of FIFO/DIDO workers. Despite this, based on what we know about risk factors for suicide, it’s fair to say that FIFO/DIDO work has the potential to create stresses and challenges that may exceed some individuals’ coping abilities.</p>
<p>The workers themselves – mostly men – have long working rosters in arduous conditions. This can disrupt normal daily routines, and contribute to poor physical health and significant disturbances in sleeping patterns. FIFO work can be lonely and workers lack social support from family and friends while they’re away. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18513/original/gn223kgj-1355114786.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Loneliness, isolation and separation from family can increase FIFO workers’ vulnerability to suicide.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Joseph A Ferris III</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Men with families face repeated separation from their partner and children. They can experience difficulty re-establishing closeness with their family after lengthy periods away, and relationship strain and discord can emerge. In some cases, this may end in marital breakdown.</p>
<p>Individually and collectively, these experiences can increase a person’s vulnerability to suicide. Also, they can play a role in the development of two very prominent contributors to suicide: depression and anxiety, and “self-medication” through alcohol/drug misuse.</p>
<p>Workers’ families face strains too. Aside from separation from their loved one, the regular absence of one partner can expose the other partner to the myriad pressures of single parenting. This raises the likelihood of that partner experiencing psychological distress, especially if they are a new mother. </p>
<p>Tension between the two parents is a worry, not just for how it affects adults, but because family conflict and breakdown are documented risk factors for youth suicide.</p>
<p>Problems can develop between the absent parent and their children. Children may struggle to re-integrate their FIFO/DIDO parent into their lives once each work roster ends, and, equally, can experience emotional upset when the time comes for dad to leave again. </p>
<p>While there has been little examination of any long-term impacts of FIFO/DIDO work on children, strong family relationships are a protective factor against suicide, and anything that weakens those bonds should be treated seriously.</p>
<p>At the community level, residents of towns where FIFO/DIDO work is a common employment practice may be affected. In some cases, impacts can include displacement of local workers in favour of FIFO/DIDO workers, and declining tourism viability. </p>
<p>As income disparities emerge, prices rise and locals who are not employed in the resources sector can find themselves in financial hardship. Social disruption, community fragmentation, and diminished participation in community activities, can occur.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/18515/original/8jf3nv3t-1355114829.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Residents of towns where FIFO/DIDO work is common are also under strain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Milkwooders</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Access to services – such as health care – is a well-recognised problem for people living in rural and remote areas. Sudden population growth due to an influx of workers can place strains on local infrastructure and service capacity, making access to services even more difficult than it would usually be. Again, these are all risk factors associated with suicide.</p>
<p>It might be tempting to conclude that rising suicide figures are inevitable in light of the growing use of FIFO/DIDO workers. </p>
<p>But this is premature for two reasons. The first point to remember is that, as yet, we don’t even know how prevalent the risk factors for suicide really are, in relation to FIFO/DIDO work. Second, concerns about rising suicide numbers are based on an assumption that nothing can – or will – be done to address underlying contributors to suicide that may be associated with FIFO/DIDO work.</p>
<p>Suicide does not occur in a vacuum. Many risk factors can be reduced through sensible actions that address broader issues such as family functioning, financial pressures, employment, health, and community infrastructure. </p>
<p>How effectively governments, industry, and communities will work together to do this remains to be seen. But successful suicide prevention through practical social and economic policy is not beyond their collective reach.</p>
<p><strong><em>If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline’s 24-hour helpline on 13 11 14, SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263 or the Beyondblue Info Line 1300 22 4636.</em></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/9998/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr McPhedran works with the National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention (NCESP), funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.</span></em></p>Barely a week passes without media coverage of some aspect of the real or perceived impacts of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) work, especially in the mining sector. We hear about the…Samara McPhedran, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/77072012-08-08T04:30:06Z2012-08-08T04:30:06ZMining, sex work and STIs: why force a connection?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13791/original/53ptkzh9-1343956334.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">FIFO sex workers shouldn't be blamed for rising rates of HIV and STIs.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">High heel image from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can the mining boom be blamed for the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in some states? The Australian Medical Association thinks so, with its Queensland president Dr Richard Kidd <a href="http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2012/05/28/discrepencies-in-the-legal-governing-of-licensed-a/">attributing</a> rising rates of gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia in <a href="http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2012/05/26/miners-stray-but-their-wives-pay-richard-kidd/">Queensland and Western Australia</a> to bored and cashed-up miners. </p>
<p>Kidd is not an isolated voice. Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg recently <a href="http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/05/30/hiv-rates-spiral-fifo-boom/">blamed sex workers</a> operating in mining regions for the <a href="http://www.health.qld.gov.au/sexhealth/hp/default.asp">doubling</a> of HIV diagnoses in Queensland – from 2.7 per 100,000 population in 2001 to 5.4 in 2010. </p>
<p>These claims have been <a href="http://myresources.com.au/news/17-othernews/5537-sex-workers-deny-fifo-sti-link">disputed</a> by sex industry advocates who say commentators have got it wrong. Fly in fly out (FIFO) sex workers aren’t contributing to the problem – they’re part of the solution. </p>
<p>So who should you believe: the medical professionals and politicians or the sex worker advocates?</p>
<h2>Double standards</h2>
<p>Concern over sex workers and the spread of STIs has historically climaxed in periods of national crisis. During the second World War, for instance, the spread of venereal disease from sex workers was deemed “race suicide”: a threat to national security because of its capacity to diminish pools of fighting men. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13995/original/zt9hvfqk-1344392723.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Allan Rostron</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sex workers have since been <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3173970">regulated and punished</a> in order to prevent the spread of STIs, while their clients escaped scrutiny. At the height of public concern over the HIV epidemic in 1985, the Sydney Morning Herald ran the headline “<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369105011000024439">AIDS spread linked to prostitutes</a>”. These claims were supported by some health professionals and resulted in widespread public concern and legislative changes, despite research at the time indicating most sex workers used condoms. </p>
<p>The latest available data (from 2005) <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/phd-hivaids-strategy0508-cnt.htm">shows</a> HIV has not transmitted in a sex industry setting in Australia. In fact, Australian sex workers have <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/phd-hivaids-strategy0508-cnt.htm">very low rates</a> of HIV and STI infection and high rates of condom usage.</p>
<h2>Fit in, or f**k off</h2>
<p>Fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) work has been blamed for a range of social problems in rural communities, ranging from increased littering, to violent crime. The social impact from the current mining boom appears to be mixed, however, with <a href="http://www.police.wa.gov.au/Aboutus/Statistics/Crimestatistics/tabid/1219/Default.aspx">official crime rates</a> falling in some communities. </p>
<p>But if offensive behaviour or crime has not increased, concern and fear has. FIFO workers often present as an outsider population, who have invaded once peaceful and harmonious rural communities. Worse still, they appear to contribute little to the community and make no effort to integrate. This situation is no better captured by the inversion of FIFO by locals to the slogan “fit in or fuck off”. </p>
<p>The open presence of sex in the neighbourhood represents a potential challenge to the moral fabric of generally conservative communities.
In many ways, female sex workers come to symbolise a range of concerns associated with rapid change in regions affected by the mining boom. Concern is only furthered by <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/8470795/suicide-hiv-could-rise-in-qld-after-cuts">reports</a> that some FIFO sex workers may be based in foreign locations.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13787/original/dkfhjmdg-1343955287.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian sex workers have low rates of HIV and STI infection and high rates of condom use.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/coolhuntingtapas</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Rural sex work</h2>
<p>When we think of sex workers we tend to think of urban settings. Despite this, sex workers have a strong association with mining communities. </p>
<p>When largely male populations first settled the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016700000462">frontiers</a> in places such as Australia and the United States, sex workers were with them or closely followed them. As these places became more settled with the establishment of families and long-term residential patterns, the sex industry became less visible, moving from the main street to the margins of the community, becoming less visible in rural settings. </p>
<p>While brothels were the mainstay of the rural sex industry up until the 1990s, the introduction of the mobile telephone increased numbers of escorts working in rural locations as this technology allowed for sex workers to live outside of the small communities where they worked. The ability to work in diverse locations at relatively short notice, such as motels, mobile vans, also appealed to a small town clientele to whom discretion and anonymity were important.</p>
<p>Few sex workers conform to the stereotype of exploited, drug-addicted opportunists who work the streets. Those working on the streets account for approximately 10% of the sex worker population, with <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-soc-070308-120025">escort and brothel workers making up the bulk of the market</a>.</p>
<p>For those entering into sex work on a full-time or long-term basis, contracting an STI or HIV is bad for business. Discretion is also important to success, especially in smaller regional communities. </p>
<h2>Rising rates of STI and HIV</h2>
<p>Increases in rates of STIs and HIV often pre-date the current mining boom and are not restricted to regions with mining growth. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13790/original/dydykkxs-1343955510.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/ohsarahrose</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Research shows safe sex compliance among both gay and heterosexual populations began to decline in the last decade, a phenomena witnessed in a number of western countries, with or without the mining boom. After twenty years of safe-sex education, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13691050701843098#preview">researchers have noted</a> a sense of information fatigue in some communities and disillusionment with safe sex cultures. </p>
<p>The growth of the internet also saw an explosion of subgroups seeking partners to intentionally engage in unsafe sex, a practice referred to as <a href="http://www.thebody.com/content/art2276.html">bare-backing</a>. Such phenomenon has led researchers to re-evaluate traditional public health strategies.</p>
<h2>Reversing the trend</h2>
<p>Sex workers in regional and rural areas face a number of challenges due to isolation, occupational discrimination and confidentiality. </p>
<p>Sexual health clinics, if they exist at all, are likely to have highly restricted hours of operation. Access to condoms can be restricted by lack of an all-night chemist. Seeking help from a health professional might also be difficult because of a desire for discretion among both sex workers and their clients. </p>
<p>So it’s important not to stigmatise these sex workers, which may result in them being further isolated from resources and support services. </p>
<p>Of course, isolation, discrimination and confidentiality aren’t restricted to sex workers; these are problems for all members of the community. We need to be wary of presenting a narrow view of sexual health, which isolates broader community problems to subgroups within the population.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/7707/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Victor Minichiello receives funding from the ARC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Scott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Can the mining boom be blamed for the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in some states? The Australian Medical Association thinks so, with its Queensland president Dr Richard Kidd…John Scott, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of New EnglandVictor Minichiello, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean, Faculty of The Professions, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/85262012-08-03T04:46:43Z2012-08-03T04:46:43ZThe Future of Work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13823/original/thcpfmfj-1343969059.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Technology and globalisation are dramatically transforming the workers and workplaces of the future.</span> </figcaption></figure><p>The modern workplace is constantly evolving. The water cooler and the 9-to-5 grind are quickly becoming relics of the past; what is in store for the future?</p>
<p>The Conversation has been running a series, the Future of Work, which looks at the way technology, globalisation, and demographic change are rapidly transforming the way we work in the 21st century. </p>
<p>Read stories from the series here. </p>
<hr>
<p><strong>On the rise of freelance workers:</strong> If you’re sick of sticking it to the man, is it truly better to become your own boss? University of South Australia’s Barbara Pocock highlights the imperfect freedoms that pose a challenge to independent contractors. </p>
<p><em>“As Dederer’s story shows, the freelancer’s life is not all a happy or smooth one, even in a bustling haven of freelancing like Seattle. Her household’s income is low and unpredictable: they do not starve, but there are unsteady moments. When her children come along, she describes the schizo-manic life of mother-worker, torn between the deadline and the playground.”</em></p>
<p>Read the full story <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-imperfect-freedoms-of-the-freelancer-in-the-changing-world-of-work-8312">here</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Home sweet office:</strong> A growing number of workers have flocked from the cubicle to the comfort of their own home. It’s time, London Metropolitan University’s Frances Holliss argues, that we started <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-is-where-the-work-is-the-case-for-an-urban-design-revolution-8147">designing dwellings</a> with this in mind. </p>
<p><em>“Cities and buildings designed around home-based work would inevitably take a different form. It’s time for us to explore this. Recognising the existence of the workhome – and its immense contemporary relevance – is a necessary first step.”</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>The growing precariat:</strong> Greater casualisation of the workforce will mean that <a href="https://theconversation.com/labour-in-vain-casualisation-presents-a-precarious-future-for-workers-8181">job security will lessen significantly</a> in the future, argues Monash University’s Veronica Sheen. </p>
<p><em>The dynamic of how casual work can masquerade as employment stability is illustrated by Patricia, who had been working for 18 months prior to interview as a ward’s clerk in a hospital in an outer suburb of Melbourne. After 12 months as a casual, she attained permanent part-time status for one day per week. However, she was still on call as a casual to work another two or three days per week, although there was always variability in days and hours of work.“</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>A boom - but for whom?:</strong> As Australia continues to reap the rewards from the resources boom, it’s logical to assume that demand for fly-in, fly-out workers will increase. QUT’s Alison McIntosh looks at the social and economic effects that large-scale transient workforces have on mining communities. </p>
<p><em>"Demand for resource sector workers undoubtedly means that FIFOs/DIDOs are here to stay. It is also clear that these practices have huge implications for host communities’ viability and wellbeing. The diminution of human, social, economic, institutional and environmental capital in mining regions jeopardises communities and towns, deters development or investment in alternative industry sectors and threatens sustainability.”</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Technology and the death of leisure:</strong> Even when it’s time to tune out and relax after a hard day’s work, the instant email alert on your smartphone makes it impossible to switch off. We must be wary of becoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/tool-or-time-thief-technology-and-the-work-life-balance-8165">slaves to the machine</a>, argues Monash University’s Anne Bardoel. </p>
<p><em>“There is no doubt that technology has changed the way we work and provides challenges for work-life balance.
On the football field, the boundary marks the edge of the field. Inside the boundary, the ball is in play; beyond the boundary it is out of play. The trouble with the boundary between work and personal lives is that it is very permeable. As renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild identified, workplaces are greedy institutions and technology has allowed them by stealth to expand the boundary line and encroach on our personal lives.”</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Sick of shift work:</strong> FIFO workers may be bringing in comfortable wages, but Griffith University’s Olav Muurlink holds <a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-wealth-for-toil-fifo-workers-find-themselves-sick-and-tired-8540">serious concerns about the physical and psychological impacts</a> on individuals. </p>
<p><em>Despite a hefty paypacket, he sleeps more nights in a “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/rural/reporter/stories/s3149168.htm">donga</a>camp” 1400 kilometres from home than he does under his own roof. Whereas 30 years ago, the typical Australian shift worker was a nurse, police officer, or other front-line emergency worker, Bureau of Statistics figures show that mining is single-handedly changing the face of the night owls.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8526/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Veronica Sheen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The modern workplace is constantly evolving. The water cooler and the 9-to-5 grind are quickly becoming relics of the past; what is in store for the future? The Conversation has been running a series…Veronica Sheen, Research Associate, Political and Social Inquiry , Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/85402012-07-31T20:20:35Z2012-07-31T20:20:35ZDespite wealth for toil, FIFO workers find themselves sick and tired<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13652/original/ptjfrb58-1343707907.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The changing face of shift work: fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers may be wealthy, but are their lifestyles unhealthy?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alex E.Proimos</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Welcome to the Future of Work, a series from The Conversation that looks at the ongoing evolution of the workplace. Today, Griffith University’s Olav Muurlink looks at how the mining industry is single-handly transforming the nature of shift work in Australia.</em></p>
<p>“FIFO is the biggest con ever perpetrated by the large mining companies. After fatigue is taken into account, your usable time off is often less than 75% and sometimes as little as 50%. The large salaries are not a substitute for slowly killing yourself, your family and your marriage.”</p>
<p>These words come from a Perth-based train driver hooked into the express that is Australian mining. The 40-something union member is part of the revolution that has swept Australian mining. Despite a hefty paypacket, he sleeps more nights in a “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/rural/reporter/stories/s3149168.htm">donga</a> camp” 1400 kilometres from home than he does under his own roof. Whereas 30 years ago, the typical Australian shift worker was a nurse, police officer, or other front-line emergency worker, Bureau of Statistics figures show that mining is single-handedly changing the face of the night owls. Mining is now the industry with the highest proportion of men who work shifts (52%), and while the mining industry, despite its high profile, only represents a small slice of the total workforce (2%), miners such as the train driver we quoted, have seen the eight-hour-day and home-in-time-for-tea lifestyles sacrificed to the productivity demands of resources exporters.</p>
<p>Take the train driver’s example. Not for him the steady night shift of the security officer, but instead, a continually rotating schedule involving morning, afternoon and day shifts, which the evidence suggests is particularly hard on the human immune system. His schedule sees him home in Perth only one week out of four, which means that his work has effectively divorced him from his home. He’s rarely there to see his children off to school. Such is the pressure to pump out coal and iron ore 24 hours a day, some companies have even sacrificed Christmas to production.</p>
<p>A Griffith University team, funded by the federal government’s Australian Research Council and the CFMEU Mining and Energy division, is conducting one of the largest longitudinal studies of the social, physical, and psychological impacts of shift work: the <a href="http://www.griffith.edu.au/business-commerce/centre-work-organisation-wellbeing/news-events">Australian Coal and Energy Survey</a> (ACES). While the study of over 2500 miners and over 1900 of their partners is large, in fact the respondents under-represent the stress in the industry. Those who stay in mining, such as our respondents, are characterised by a resilience that the average Australian doesn’t share. Over 20% of those lured by the big money drop out within the first few months. They simply can’t handle the pace.</p>
<p>There are, of course, plenty who love the job, with the bigger slabs of days off that it can bring), but even the “thrivers” and “survivors” are showing the strain.</p>
<p>While only the first wave of ACES data is in, and thus we can’t make any definite conclusions about what causes what, it is obvious that the changes that are taking place are taking place without the ‘consent of the governed’. That is, many workers don’t feel in control of the changes, and they don’t feel safe. Over a third claim that they had no choice but to accept shift work. Close to 60% say they have no say at all over the amount of hours they work, two thirds say they have no say over the types of shift or which set of shifts they work, over 70% have no say over start and finish times—and this doesn’t include those who say they have only “some” say over these factors. Depriving workers of control over such fundamental aspects of their working life does have serious consequences.</p>
<p>Looking at minor illnesses such as headaches, flu and abdominal pain, those who reported having no say over their hours, for example, reported an average of 1.83 illnesses on the compound scale we used in ACES, compared to 1.59 amongst those who reported having greater say. Workers who wanted to work fewer hours reported an average of 1.85 short-term illnesses, compared to 1.61 amongst those who were content with the number of hours they were working. Amongst those who wanted to work fewer hours and claimed no say over their hours, the average number of short-term illnesses was as high as 1.98. These differences remained significant even when age was controlled for.</p>
<p>Minor illnesses, it is true, but such disorders act as a marker of immunosuppression, and links with more serious illnesses such as ulcers, heart disease, and even cancer, are beginning to appear in the literature. There is no doubt that the revolution in mining has brought with it great wealth - to shareholders and to ordinary Australians working in the mines alike - and that wealth is certainly a significant factor playing in the minds of those who choose to follow the centuries-old dream of seeking one’s fortunes far from the cities. However, the costs are mounting.</p>
<p>As a final word, a 47-year-old truck operator was asked: “Is there anything else you would like to say about work or your shift patterns?”</p>
<p>He said: “I don’t know whether it would have happened anyway due to age, but since being in mining … I feel I have really pushed myself and my body too far due to the shift work. I’ve never been so sick than I have over the past five years. I hardly ever went to the doctor all my life and now I live at the doctor’s. I truly feel that my environment at work and home is unhealthy and the shift work is a killer. I don’t think I will be in mining for much longer.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8540/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olav Muurlink, through Griffith University, receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Mining and Energy Division of the Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). He is affiliated with the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing. In his former role as managing director of Free Media, he operated a workforce that was partially required to engage in shift work in the performance of their roles.</span></em></p>Welcome to the Future of Work, a series from The Conversation that looks at the ongoing evolution of the workplace. Today, Griffith University’s Olav Muurlink looks at how the mining industry is single-handly…Olav Muurlink, Research Fellow, Griffith Business School, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/83002012-07-26T04:16:54Z2012-07-26T04:16:54ZMining towns and the rise of the transient workforce<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13331/original/h6jfks6r-1343092610.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A labour shortage in Australia's resources sector has led to the rapid growth of a transient workforce in remote mining communities. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">robstephaustralia</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Welcome to the Future of Work, a series from The Conversation that looks at the ongoing evolution of the workplace. Today, QUT’s Alison McIntosh outlines the social, cultural and economic challenges posed by transient workers in mining communities.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Global demand for minerals and fossil fuels has led to the rapid expansion of Australia’s resources sector. With this ramped-up activity, numbers of fly–in, fly–out (FIFO) and drive–in, drive–out (DIDO) non–resident workers (NRWs) have grown exponentially, placing pressures in mining communities on housing affordability, safety and infrastructure. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6291.0.55.003Main+Features1May%202012?OpenDocument">Mining employment</a> has more than doubled over the past five years. The FIFO/DIDO growth rate is even greater because most workers are now contractors and essentially all contractors are NRWs. Additionally, many tens of thousands of non-resident construction workers are not counted within mining; nor are unidentified numbers for surveying, transport, processing, out-sourced maintenance and work camp operations. In short, we know little about NRWs including - crucially - numbers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/13432/original/bm22xqqh-1343259704.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Growth of the mining industry.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alison McIntosh</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Preference for FIFOs/DIDOs in project construction phases, in remote locations with settlement constraints, and for short-life mines is understandable. But it’s puzzling that NRWs are favoured in regions with low-level remoteness and with recognised project longevity. Notably, some regions have experienced continuous production from multiple mines for over 50 years and are expected to have intensified activity for many more decades. In fact, in April 2012, <a href="http://bree.gov.au/documents/publications/resources/Mining-Industry-Major-Projects.pdf">98 projects at advanced stages of development</a> and with record capital expenditure of $260.8billion have been identified. The substantial economic benefits allowed by taxation policies to organisations which favour NRWs and work camps undoubtedly influence workforce strategies. </p>
<p>In 2008, our <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/pdf/DP08/DP08_NewEngU.pdf">ARC-funded research project</a> set out to address aspects of masculinities and violence in regional Australia. Analysis of secondary data (framework and scope <a href="http://eprints.qut.edu.au/47780/">here</a>) highlighted ‘hot spots’ for violence-related harms. This influenced our choice of study locations and serendipitously we conducted extensive field research in mining communities undergoing rapid change through the presence of FIFOs/DIDOs and work camps. Whereas once these camps were in remote locations; increasingly they are in or near established long-settled towns where they often become highly contentious.</p>
<p><strong>Housing affordability and availability</strong> </p>
<p>Camp standards and facilities vary. Some accommodate several thousand but not all NRWs stay in camps. Mining companies also buy existing housing stock and residential land. Hotel, motel and caravan park accommodation is often block-booked months in advance by the industry. Gone are the days when state government conditions of consent included purpose-built towns in close proximity to project developments. </p>
<p>Expansion of towns in response to unprecedented demand for housing is often restricted by exploration leases, capital or environmental constraints and/or delayed planning decisions. These factors create acute housing shortfalls, increasing property values and rents and decreasing housing affordability, particularly for those not working in the industry. </p>
<p>Having lost affordability and, in some instances, diminished community amenity and wellbeing, locational appeal is reduced. Unavailable accommodation can also mean these places are unviable destinations or stop-overs for tourists. </p>
<p><strong>Impacts on services and infrastructure</strong> </p>
<p>Economic benefits from non-resident work practices are generally limited for affected communities due to “fly–over” effects, with businesses bypassed and jobs shifting to NRWs, sometimes to the exclusion of locals. These recruitment policies push families away, reducing core populations. Importantly, workers’ choice to live locally is removed. </p>
<p>Services, facilities and infrastructure also suffer. Significantly, the actual full-time equivalent population (residents <em>plus</em> NRWs) is not recognised when determining government funding. For example, NRWs place greater demand on stretched medical services (GPs, ambulances) and infrastructure (hospitals). </p>
<p>Stark contrasts often exist between well-paid industry workers (with high disposable incomes) and others. Perceptions of inequities affect acceptance of these workers, fostering an “us/them” mentality. More generally, though, the metaphorical battle lines are between “insider” residents, irrespective of their employer or occupation, and the “outsider” FIFOs/DIDOs, whose presence is often resented. Greater reliance on NRWs in the future might extend rather than diminish this division. </p>
<p><strong>Community safety</strong> </p>
<p>NRWs can sometimes represent large - even majority - proportions of local area populations. As a group, they exaggerate male dominance and have little or no attachment to workplace communities. They are transients. They are not regulated by informal social controls that traditionally characterise rural communities. Hence their existence gives rise to suspicion and concerns. </p>
<p>An influx of NRWs means that many shared spaces become highly masculinised places. Violent male-on-male assaults fuelled by excessive alcohol consumption are regarded as normal given the dynamics between locals and NRWs. FIFOs/DIDOs are also largely blamed for introducing a cocktail of drugs. Excessive use of alcohol or drugs is deterred by testing regimes aimed at detecting misuse although some workplaces seem to have more effective controls than others. </p>
<p>The applied adage of “work hard, play hard” means that pub and nightclub brawls are common. Sudden boosts to outsider numbers exacerbate levels of antagonism. Violent altercations are also common in some work camps although privatised security operations usually means that only the most serious offences attract public attention. </p>
<p>NRWs are the convenient and readily identified scapegoats for divisions within communities, deflecting attention from equivalent poor conduct from locals. Nevertheless, links between violence, social disorder and drunken men from work camps create a climate of fear and anxiety about safety.</p>
<p><strong>Sustainability</strong> </p>
<p>Demand for resource sector workers undoubtedly means that FIFOs/DIDOs are here to stay. It is also clear that these practices have huge implications for host communities’ viability and wellbeing. The diminution of human, social, economic, institutional and environmental capital in mining regions jeopardises communities and towns, deters development or investment in alternative industry sectors and threatens sustainability.</p>
<p>Social impacts have largely escaped government, industry and academic scrutiny. Widespread dissemination of our project team’s findings includes <a href="http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/search?submit=yes&pubdate_year=&volume=&firstpage=&doi=&author1=carrington&author2=mcintosh&title=&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=&andorexactfulltext=and&fmonth=&fyear=&tmonth=&tyear=&flag=&format=standard&hits=10&sortspec=relevance&submit=yes&submit=Search">publications</a> in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2011.00557.x/abstract">international journals</a>, an <a href="http://anj.sagepub.com/search/results?fulltext=resource+boom%27s+underbelly&x=14&y=8&submit=yes&journal_set=spanj&src=selected&andorexactfulltext=and">ANZJOC article</a> which recently won a prestigious award, and nation-wide publicity which has generated interest from industry, communities and government policy makers. </p>
<p>Many of these issues are emerging on the national radar. Some are the subject of an <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=/ra/fifodido/tor.htm">inquiry by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia</a>. Our <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=/ra/fifodido/subs.htm">ARC team’s submission (No. 95)</a> included recommendations for addressing effects. Ideally, social, cultural and economic benefits will follow hoped-for policy changes for the long-term betterment of mining communities, many FIFO/DIDO workers and their families, and the nation. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8300/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison McIntosh receives funding from Australian Research Council Discovery Project No DP0878476. Other team members are Professor Kerry Carrington (Queensland University of Technology), Associate Professor Russell Hogg (University of New England) and Professor John Scott (University of New England).</span></em></p>Welcome to the Future of Work, a series from The Conversation that looks at the ongoing evolution of the workplace. Today, QUT’s Alison McIntosh outlines the social, cultural and economic challenges posed…Alison McIntosh, Senior Research Fellow, School of Justice, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.