Workers at the Port Kembla Coal Terminal (PKCT) have walked off the job – and will take rolling industrial action over the Christmas period – in a fight to protect permanent employees from being replaced by casual contractors.
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The walk-off is the latest in a series of protest actions by PKCT workers in the past 12 months and comes amid ongoing negotiations over a new enterprise agreement.
Bob Timbs – from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union(CFMEU) – said PKCT had been stalling in negotiations, which have been running for almost four years.
The key sticking point, according to the union, is the company’s insistence on removing a clause that would protect current permanent workers being replaced by casual contractors.
“There is an epidemic of casualisation across the coal mining industry and the wider workforce,” Mr Timbs said.
“Unless workers are protected, we see time and again that employers will outsource their jobs to labour hire contractors offering casual work with substandard pay and conditions.
“Workers everywhere are seeing their hard-won conditions under attack by employers, with the constant threat of being replaced by a contract workforce.
“Workers at PKCT have been willing to bargain in good faith as we seek a new deal with the company. However, protecting workers’ rights to permanent, secure jobs is a matter of principle – not just for our workplace but for the whole community.”
Workers will take rolling industrial action across the Christmas period, he said.
In March, the union flagged further industrial action was possible after the nation’s workplace relations umpire gave PKCT the tick of approval to terminate its workplace agreement.
The Fair Work Commission ruled the PKCT Limited Enterprise Agreement 2012-2015 be terminated, effective from April 29 next year.
At the time, Mr Timbs told the Mercury the decision was “better news” than members were expecting – given agreements were often terminated without notice – but the union wouldn’t rule out further action.
The FWC decision came amid ongoing industrial action by union members as a new EBA was negotiated.
Workers were locked out of the terminal on three occasions this year as PKCT took a hard line on the industrial dispute.
A lockout on March 23 followed one in early January, when workers were shut out for four days, and another in February.
PKCT – which is owned and operated by mining companies South 32, Glencore, Peabody Energy, Centennial Coal and Wollongong Coal – had applied to have the existing agreement terminated.
PKCT has been contacted for comment.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
