Gina Rinehart to share wealth with Christmas gifts for Roy Hill staff

Roy Hill staff are in line for a Christmas bonus courtesy of their boss Gina Rinehart.

The Pilbara iron ore miner yesterday announced a “chairman’s profit scheme” for its employees to recognise their “hard work, dedication and commitment to make Roy Hill as safe, productive and profitable as possible”.

Roy Hill said the annual payments would depend on the company achieving annual cost and production targets, having adequate distributable cash under its debt facility agreements and staff achieving good safety outcomes.

Chief executive Barry Fitzgerald said the scheme to share profits with employees when targets were met was the realisation of a vision for Mrs Rinehart.

“This is a tremendous example of the generosity of Mrs Rinehart and her appreciation of staff,” he said.

Mrs Rinehart said the scheme this year recognised the outstanding contributions of Roy Hill employees in achieving targets many thought “impossible”.

Roy Hill achieved a run rate of 55 million tonnes per annum this year, the project’s nameplate capacity, and is seeking government approvals to expand to 60Mtpa.

The company celebrated a maiden profit of $331 million in the 2016-17 financial year.

“My ongoing vision for sharing profits remains that if Roy Hill has a good year, then we all have a good year — with an annual payment to all employees in mid-December, just before Christmas,” Mrs Rinehart said.

The bonus scheme comes as mining bosses report the early signs of labour market tightness in recent months as the resources sector recovers from a downturn.