Xstrata shouldn’t have anything to do with the industrial dispute up here at Collinsville open-cut mine in north Queensland. Xstrata owns the mine, but it’s operated by Thiess.
Our members have been trying to negotiate an agreement with Thiess for over 2 years and have just been on strike for 16 days to try and win some movement on key sticking points, like job security, housing allowances, union meetings and pay.
Strong community: Collinsville supports its miners
Mine workers at Tahmoor Colliery south of Sydney will resume industrial action for a week from tomorrow after Xstrata point blank refused an offer to resolve the current EA dispute through arbitration.
The Union offered the company an arrangement where we would suspend all industrial action and abide by an arbitrator’s decision on all outstanding matters.
These include:
• security of employment
• the company’s ability to roster workers on to 12-hour shifts
• remuneration and bonuses and
• manning levels.
The industrial campaign out here at Xstrata’s Ulan Underground mine in the NSW Central West has started with a bang.
I’ve just finished a four-hour mass meeting with members of Ulan Lodge, who walked off the job at midnight last night and won’t go back until 7am tomorrow.
They’re disgusted at the way Xstrata is handling negotiations for a new EBA – and particularly angry about the wage offer we’ve just received, which is well below what the miners here are worth.
I grew up at The Oaks, just about 10 minutes from Tahmoor. Like most of the locals around here, I’ve got a strong family connection to Tahmoor Colliery. My Dad’s worked there for about 24 years, and my brother and brother-in-law both work there too.
When Dad asked me to help get signatures for a union petition calling on the Federal Government to support the Tahmoor miners, I said “Ok Dad, but everything’s done on the internet these days.” So I started a Facebook group.
In just over a week, over 1,600 people have joined the group ‘Support Tahmoor Colliery Workers’.
This week’s lockout of workers at Bulga mine has only served to strengthen our resolve.
Truck off: a tribute to Xstrata
Tahmoor miners have created a mobile tribute to everyone’s favourite mining multinational.
It made is first appearance today as the day and afternoon shifts took protected industrial action. Night shift will follow suit Sunday night.
I've been following the developments at Ulan and wish you all the best in your unfair dismissal claim.
Over our way the miners at Xstrata's United Colliery in the NSW Hunter Valley have had enough.
They're so frustrated they'll walk off the job tomorrow morning and stop coal production at the mine until Monday morning (September 14).
We are concerned about Xstrata’s impact on our work rights, our mining communities and our environment.
By sharing information, we aim to pressure Xstrata into acting fairly and ethically.
Xstratafacts is an initiative of the CFMEU Mining and Energy Division, the union for Australian miners.
This site is not run by Xstrata plc and does not reflect the views of the company. If you are looking for the Xstrata company web site go to www.xstrata.com.
