Unions have slammed Chevron’s HR manager for claiming that FIFO rosters do not have adverse health effects.

A parliamentary committee is examining the mental health impacts of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work common in the resources sector.

A spate of FIFO worker suicides in WA’s Pilbara region prompted the formation of the committee.

In hearings this week, a Chevron executive told the committee that he did not see a link between FIFO and psychological stress.

“I don’t think I’ve seen evidence to suggest FIFO is causing increased stress or increased mental illness,” said Kaye Butler, Chevron’s general manager for human resources.

“No research suggests the work roster or schedule is directly link to mental health.”

Butler said heavy fatigue was common among workers in many industries.

“You can’t put one template on every situation,” he said.

“It could be coming from sleep apnoea…it could be a relationship problem.”

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) strongly disagrees.

“You’d have to be pretty naïve to think there’s no correlation between FIFO rosters and the health and well-being of workers,” CFMEU WA secretary Mick Buchan said outside the parliamentary hearing.

“From the experience of suicides of our members, and the members of other unions, the health and well-being of our members…there is time for change.

“We want to be able to sit down in a constructive way whether it be with Chevron, whether it be with the large resource companies, to be able to work together towards a roster that’s going to benefit all stakeholders.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that companies are preying on the job security fears of our FIFO members to force them into rosters that will kill workers’ marriages and wreck their mental health,” he said.