Mine Union takes fight to Canberra

Date: 17 November 2009

General President Tony Maher will lead a delegation of rank and file coal mineworkers from Queensland and NSW to Canberra this Wednesday for meetings with the Federal Government and the Opposition on job security for workers in the coal industry as Parliament commences debate on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

The Union will meet with the Federal Minister responsible for managing climate change and the coal industry, Greg Combet, and the Federal Shadow Minister Ian Macfarlane to put the case for targeted assistance for coal mines that will be subject to significant increased costs due to the introduction of the CPRS.

Our Union will put a strong case for:

• The Federal Government must double its $750 million compensation package for the 20 gassy coal mines that need assistance.

• The right for those coal mines locked into long term fixed price domestic contracts with power generators to pass on the increased costs associated with the introduction of a CPRS.

Tahmoor miners fighting Xstrata attacks on rights and conditions

The Tahmoor miners have been engaged in a rolling campaign of protected industrial action as they fight to protect their job security.

The Tahmoor miners have been trying to negotiate a fair agreement with Xstrata for over 12-months now.

Xstrata is attacking job security by insisting on dumping important protections in the Enterprise Agreement, including:

• Seniority

• Contractors rates

• True manning levels

• Union conditions.

These cuts to conditions look like Xstrata is setting Tahmoor up to be a contract mine. However, the Tahmoor miners are standing firm with strong support for the industrial action and they are determined to keep going until they win an acceptable outcome.

For further information

Contact:	Tony Maher
Union:	CFMEU Mining and Energy Division
WWW:	http://www.cfmeu.com.au/

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