Latest news with #Helensburgh
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Metropolitan Mine workers rally as lockout enters its third week
More than 100 workers have rallied outside an underground New South Wales coal mine as a lockout by owner Peabody 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.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Peabody extends lockout at Helensburgh mine in Australia to three weeks
Peabody, a US-based coal giant, has extended the lockout of workers at the Helensburgh underground coal mine until 6 July, in response to a one-hour protected industrial action by the miners. The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) is now urging the federal government to address workplace laws that permit such disproportionate employer actions against workers' bargaining rights. Members of the MEU at Metropolitan Mine have been barred from work without pay by Peabody since 18 June. The miners, who anticipated returning to work on Thursday, were informed on the preceding Wednesday evening of the extended lockout. MEU South Western District president Bob Timbs said: '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 fulfil their commitment to fair and genuine workplace bargaining.' Matt Potter, a mineworker from Helensburgh and a delegate for the MEU, has asserted that the workers remain undeterred by Peabody's tactics and will persist in their fight for fair wages and the protection of job security. Potter said: '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 long-standing job security clause and a pay rise to bring us in line with the other mines in the area.' Recently, Peabody Energy expressed concerns regarding its intended purchase of Anglo American's Tier 1 Australian steelmaking coal assets. A material adverse change has been cited, connected to the inactive state of the Moranbah North coal mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin following a gas ignition event on 31 March 2025. Peabody has indicated the possibility of withdrawing from the acquisition if the issues at the Moranbah North coal mine are not resolved within a set time frame. "Peabody extends lockout at Helensburgh mine in Australia to three weeks" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
26-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Peabody extends miners' lockout at Helensburgh coal mine in Australia
June 26 (Reuters) - U.S. coal producer Peabody Energy (BTU.N), opens new tab has extended a lockout of its workers at its Helensburgh underground coal mine in New South Wales, Australia's Mining and Energy Union (MEU) said on Thursday. The lockout began on June 18 in response to a one-hour industrial protest by workers advocating for improved wages and job protections. Peabody notified MEU members on Wednesday night that it would continue until July 6. The workers have been locked out without pay by Peabody, the union said, adding that it is urging the Federal Government to overhaul workplace laws that permit excessively "disproportionate" and "punitive" actions by employers against workers who are simply exercising their right to bargain. Peabody did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. The workers will not be intimidated by Peabody's tactics and will keep fighting for fair pay and job security, Helensburgh mineworker and MEU delegate Matt Potter said in the statement.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Peabody extends miners' lockout at Helensburgh coal mine in Australia
(Reuters) -U.S. coal producer Peabody Energy has extended a lockout of its workers at its Helensburgh underground coal mine in New South Wales, Australia's Mining and Energy Union (MEU) said on Thursday. The lockout began on June 18 in response to a one-hour industrial protest by workers advocating for improved wages and job protections. Peabody notified MEU members on Wednesday night that it would continue until July 6. The workers have been locked out without pay by Peabody, the union said, adding that it is urging the Federal Government to overhaul workplace laws that permit excessively "disproportionate" and "punitive" actions by employers against workers who are simply exercising their right to bargain. Peabody did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. The workers will not be intimidated by Peabody's tactics and will keep fighting for fair pay and job security, Helensburgh mineworker and MEU delegate Matt Potter said in the statement. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Peabody coal mine workers locked out in wages dispute
Workers from an underground New South Wales coal mine are facing a lockout after taking limited industrial action over wage negotiations. About 160 permanent employees were locked out without pay from Wednesday this week to Thursday next week at the Metropolitan Mine in Helensburgh. The Mining and Energy 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. The president of the union's NSW South West District, Mark Jenkins, said mine owner Peabody was punishing workers for exercising their industrial rights as they sought to negotiate a new enterprise agreement. "The workers enacted their industrial right and took some limited one-hour stoppages across their shifts," he said. Mr Jenkins said there was no warning. "We went into a bargaining meeting with the company on the day of the lockout and found out probably about an hour and 45 minutes after the bargaining meeting that the lockout was taking place," Mr Jenkins said. A Peabody spokesperson said Metropolitan Mine acknowledged that employees had engaged in industrial action, and the union had notified the company of further industrial action to come. "In response, Peabody implemented employer response action, with a lockout of employees commencing night shift Wednesday, 18 June and continuing until day shift Thursday, 26 June," the spokesperson said. The action follows a Federal Court decision last year ruling that 22 Peabody Energy crew members unjustly lost their jobs before being replaced by external contractors at the same mine in June 2020. The court found that replacing full-time employees with labour hire did not constitute "genuine redundancies". The lockout comes at a time when the nearby Tahmoor mine is also under pressure, but for a different reason, as the mine hasn't mined coal since February due to unpaid bills. About 560 mineworkers are still being paid but have been stripped of their regular bonuses. They are increasingly anxious about whether the mine, owned by British industrialist Sanjeev Gupta, and linked to the Whyalla steelworks, will reopen. Independent Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan said this week the state government was monitoring and negotiating with the mine's owner GFG Alliance. The union has called for the state government to intervene.
