Media Release

Coal miners' strike escalates

The nationwide coal miners' strike escalated this afternoon, with miners at Solid Energy's Spring Creek and Terrace mines voting to walk off the job immediately and refuse to return to work over the weekend and on Monday.

The miners, all members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, will meet on Monday afternoon to decide what action to take next. Further action is also expected over the weekend from workers at the Huntly and Stockton mines.

The escalation follows Solid Energy's decision this morning to refuse to transport miners at Spring Creek to the mine entrance as usual, as punishment for taking two hours of strike action at the beginning of their shift.

Miners were told by management they would have to walk the two kilometres to the mine entrance in full mining gear, up an unsealed industrial road, unprotected from heavy vehicles, and in hazardous conditions - a clear threat to their safety.

After waiting for two and a half hours for management to change its mind the forty-five miners decided to go home rather than put their safety at risk.

EPMU Acting National Secretary Ged O'Connell says Solid Energy is simply provoking the situation.

"Solid Energy has shown some frankly immature behaviour towards its workforce today. Responsible employers don't put their workers' safety at risk just so they can prove a point, whatever the circumstances might be.

"This is a state-owned enterprise we're talking about here, and we expect them to act rationally rather than engage in this kind of childish tit-for-tat behaviour.

"This strike action is a message to Solid Energy that our members will not be bullied, they will not put their safety at risk, and they will continue to fight for a decent pay rise."

The current dispute involves more than 800 coal miners nationwide and comes after negotiations to renew the Mining Industry Multi-Employer Collective Agreement collapsed earlier this month.

Industrial action began on Monday and involves a nationwide overtime ban and spontaneous rolling stoppages. Stockton and Huntly mines have also had significant stoppages in the last 24 hours.

ENDS