The Mining and Energy Union says Peabody Energy’s claim that the lockout at the Wambo Coal Handling Preparation Plant is over amounts to little more than a change in wording, after workers who presented for their shifts were told there was no work available.
MEU Northern Mining and NSW Energy District President Robin Williams said workers had lodged partial work bans as part of their lawful protected industrial action, including a ban on stepping up into supervisory roles. and that Peabody had used those bans as grounds to turn them away.
“The company might be saying the lockout’s ended, but sneakily they’re just phrasing it in different terms, effectively the outcome is the same,” he said.
“If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
Williams also disputed the figures Peabody has put forward publicly to justify its enterprise bargaining offer. The company has stated that workers on a rotating day and night roster stand to earn more than $219,000 per year under its proposed 13 per cent pay rise over four years. Williams said the figure was misleading because it included superannuation and production bonuses, while the pay increase itself was applied only to the base rate.
“They’ve cherry-picked the greatest figure they could use,” he said, adding that the offer amounted to less than inflation when measured against base pay. He contrasted the figure with the remuneration of Peabody’s chief executive, which he said equated to approximately $250,000 Australian dollars per week.
Williams said the dispute reflected a change in management approach at the company, with Peabody importing tactics it had previously used in its South Coast operations. He said those tactics had strengthened rather than weakened workers’ resolve.
“Members up here are no different to union members down the south coast. They’ve burred up and we’re in for a bit of a tussle,” he said.
