A Cluster of Mistrust: Safety in the Mining Industry

This article examines the relationship between mistrust, adversarial industrial relations and safety performance in 10 Australian coal mines, across three mining companies. Based on case study research and company safety data, the article identifies a 'cluster of characteristics' closely associated with the formation of mistrust, and examines the negative impact such characteristics can have on safety performance. The article considers the broader ramifications of these findings for non-mining sectors, in particular for companies with a corporate head office overseeing separate sites, and identifies ways of building trust.</p

The Philippines

The Philippines is a large archipelago of over 7000 islands, mostly lined by coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests, and surrounded by waters with variable currents driven by a reversing monsoon system. The islands have narrow coastal plains, north-south mountain ranges, active volcanoes, and high seismological activity. These elements, along with the country’s complex geologic history and geographic position, make the Philippines one of the most biologically diverse, most disaster prone, and most environmentally threatened in the world. High dependence on coastal resources, overfishing and destructive fishing, and high rates of habitat loss make fishers in the country the poorest of the poor. The large population sizes and disproportionate impact of climate change here makes the poor’s situation worse. However, the country remains resource-rich, and its people have proven to be very resilient. More habitats are being protected and rehabilitated, and successful community-based fisheries management efforts are now being upscaled to higher governance levels. Although more conservation and management efforts are needed, there is much that could be learned from the Philippine experience. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved