The contentious issue of drug testing in the workplace: the case of the South Blackwater Mine

Alcohol and illicit substance abuse in the workplace is increasingly becoming a major human resource and employee relations issue. Whilst more sophisticated measures have been developed to test and monitor drug use in the workplace, and despite tacit union support on the grounds of occupational health and safety (OH&S), the implementation of drug testing procedures remains a contentious issue. This paper firstly examines the arguments for and against drug testing and secondly, examines the issue through the use of a case study analysis. The (mis)handling of the issue at the South Blackwater Mine in Queensland in August of 2000 resulted in a major industrial dispute that affected the lives of hundreds of employees and contractors.