Metropolitan Mine workers rally as lockout enters its third week
About 160 permanent employees have been locked out without pay from the Metropolitan Mine in Helensburgh since June 18, following protected industrial action over wage negotiations.
The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) and Peabody are at loggerheads over enterprise agreement (EA) bargaining and met with the Fair Work Commissioner on Tuesday.
The industrial action in June included work bans on training and wide-load removals as well as shift stoppages, and saw the US-owned mining company respond with its own protected action — a lockout.
The mine is continuing operations with non-union workers and contractors.
John and Blake are a father and son working at the mine: John a miner of 30 years, and Blake joining the mine four years ago.
Blake said the lockout had placed his family under financial strain.
"I'd say everyone here wants to go back to work," he said.
Another long-time miner, Phillip James Jordan, said workers deserved a better deal than their current EA.
"We work 500 metres underground, we work in toxic and explosive gases, we breathe diesel particulates every day … it's not really a minimum wage environment," he said.
The lockout is due to end on Wednesday evening, but has previously been extended.
It was lifted briefly on July 3 but reinstated less than 24 hours later, after the union took a seven-hour shift stoppage and recommenced work bans on training and wide-load removals.
Another miner, David, said the uncertainty was the hardest thing.
"It's really hard not knowing what's happening from week to week. I've got a mortgage and a family, so it's tough," he said.
Peabody's vice-president of underground operations, Mike Carter, has staunchly defended the company's use of the lockout.
"We cannot run a mine safely and productively with these stoppages," he said in a statement.
"Metropolitan Coal remains fully committed to ongoing, good-faith negotiations with its workers and repeats its offer to stop lockout action if the MEU ends its industrial action.
"We remain hopeful of reaching an agreement that secures a sustainable future for our mine and our local community."
The MEU and Peabody met with the Fair Work Commissioner on Tuesday for a conciliation meeting to try to resolve the dispute.
The union said it would lodge a claim for a 15 per cent wage increase over three years, a one-off market rate increase of $1.50 per hour, plus a $4 increase to crib payments, as well as a job security clause.
"These guys are the lowest paid miners in the district … the increases we're chasing are just to bring them up across three years to be comparable with other mines," MEU district vice-president Mark Jenkins said.
Mr Carter said Peabody had offered an increase of 13 per cent.
The MEU is calling for the use of lockouts to be banned.
"I think the duration of the lockout response to our industrial action is unreasonable," Mr Jenkins said.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has been pushing for the practice to be outlawed and backed the MEU, calling the Metropolitan lockout "disproportionate".
The ongoing dispute comes at a time of instability for the region's mining operations, with just three of four mines in the region operational.
The fourth, nearby Tahmoor Mine, ceased operations in February after its owner, GFG Alliance, failed to pay outstanding debts.
In 2024, Wollongong Resources announced its two mines in the area, Russell Vale and Wongawilli, would be permanently closed.
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