A stand-off between Peabody Energy and workers at the company's Metropolitan Colliery at Helensburgh was set to escalate this week, after workers yesterday voted to extend their bans and production limitation for another week.
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The decision was made by about 200 workers who attended a Construction, Forestry, Mines and Energy Union meeting yesterday.
It came in retaliation to the company's decision to stop production at the mine for three days.
The lockout was put in place on Sunday, following the start of a fourth round of what a Peabody spokeswoman called "disruptive industrial action" by workers.
The mine was due to reopen at the end of afternoon shift today, at which time workers said they would continue bans and limitations for another seven days.
The spokeswoman did not comment on whether the company would extend the lockout if industrial action continued. Tensions between the union and the company had been building for several months, as they struggled to agree on the conditions of a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
The union claimed the company's proposed terms would leave workers worse off than those at other Illawarra mines.
Union south-western district vice-president Bob Timbs said workers at yesterday's union meeting had been "outraged" by the company's decision to lock them out of work. He said they were "at a loss" over the company's actions, as the union had already made concessions to Peabody's wage-reduction demands and agreed to allow members to work during an industrial stoppage last week to ensure the longwall was safe.
"Helensburgh mineworkers just want to see this dispute resolved and they've demonstrated this by making numerous concessions during negotiations," Mr Timbs said.
"Members have agreed to pay freezes in the next 12 months, but they will not accept the company using shareholder returns as an excuse to reduce Helensburgh wages well below that of other operations in the Illawarra."
The spokeswoman said the company remained "committed to continuing discussions with the bargaining representatives and workforce".
"We are committed to working with the employees and the bargaining representatives to deliver an agreement which reflects current market conditions, lifts productivity, reduces costs, enhances safety and provides greater job security for Metropolitan mine employees," she said.
