Anglo's creation of two hundred new permanent jobs at Grosvenor underground mine near Moranbah is a big step in the right direction, but the process the company has announced makes it too hard for existing long-term labour hire workers to access the improved jobs, the Mining and Energy Union said today. MEU Queensland President Stephen Smyth said the jobs announcement was a win in the Union's campaign for permanency at the fully labour hire site. "We will always welcome permanent jobs; and two hundred direct, permanent jobs with Anglo is a big step up from zero," said Mr Smyth. The MEU has been in discussions with Anglo about a draft Enterprise Agreement with industry-leading conditions for these new jobs. However Anglo is making it too hard for its long-term, loyal labour hire workforce to access these new permanent jobs. Today's announcement contains a big sting in the tail, meaning many workers will miss out." The MEU's key concerns are:
- 120 of 320 jobs on site will remain labour hire rather than permanent
- Existing workers will need to compete with external applicants and each other for the new permanent positions in roles they are currently performing
- Anglo has not clarified how many of the 200 jobs will be production or engineering roles
"We are urging Anglo to fill all new positions from the existing workforce and to create more permanent positions. We also want a guarantee that no existing workers will lose their jobs through this process." Grosvenor's 100% casual labour hire employment model for coal production workers and pressure to hit production targets were identified during the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry as contributing factors to the devastating underground explosion in May 2020. Since then, Grosvenor workers have joined the union in droves and formed a strong Mining and Energy Union Lodge. "We will keep advocating for the job security our members deserve," said Mr Smyth. "But apart from doing the right thing by workers who have been through so much, in the current climate of labour shortages in mining they simply won't keep people who can't see a pathway to a permanent EA job."
