US coal giant Peabody last night informed the Mining and Energy Union it is extending the lockout of workers at the Helensburgh underground coal mine until 6 July. This brings the duration of the lockout to almost three weeks – in retaliation for one hour of protected industrial action by the miners in defence of fair pay and job security.
The Mining and Energy Union is today calling on the Federal Government to reform workplace laws that allow totally disproportionate and punitive employer action in response to workers exercising their bargaining rights.
Since 18 June Mining and Energy Union members at Metropolitan Mine have been locked out without pay by Peabody. Expecting to return to work on Thursday morning, the miners were instead notified on Wednesday evening that Peabody had extended the lockout.
Bob Timbs, MEU South Western District President is calling for the Federal Government to amend the legislation around industrial action to prevent overtly disproportionate lockouts.
"More and more we're seeing well-resourced multinational employers respond to industrial action by locking out workers, often for orders of magnitude longer than the initial worker's disruption.
"Peabody's disproportionate response reveals a totally uneven playing field. Union members are required to hold a vote, reach a consensus on industrial action and notify employers in advance; employers are able to unilaterally lock out workers in response for as long as they want, denying the workers and their families an income."
"This is an important unfinished reform that we urge the Government to address without delay, to fulfill their commitment to fair and genuine workplace bargaining."
Helensburgh mineworker and MEU delegate Matt Potter says the workers aren't deterred by Peabody's strategy of coercion and would continue fighting for fair pay and to defend job security:
"Peabody's standover tactics are designed to intimidate us into giving up our bargaining rights, but we aren't ready to roll over.
"We've been through several years of stagnate wage growth and cost of living pressures, while continually setting production records at the mine.
"Peabody are posting hundreds of millions in profit for their shareholders, meanwhile we are the lowest paid coal miners in the southern coalfields. We are simply asking for the retention of our longstanding job security clause, and a pay rise to bring us in line with the other mines in the area."
