Australian Unions have condemned an American multi-national for locking out hundreds of mineworkers at a New South Wales mine, in retaliation for taking an hour of protected industrial action.
Coal giant, Peabody locked out 160 Mining and Energy Union members at its Helensburgh mine on June 18 leaving the workers and their families without pay.
The lockout is due to remain in force for almost three weeks, financially impacting workers and the local community of Helensburgh where the mine is based.
The actions of the US coal giant are extraordinarily harsh and out of step with workers simply exercising their legitimate bargaining rights over the course of an hour.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus:
“Locking out 160 mine workers without pay is unfair and unreasonable. It is hurting workers, their families and entire south coast communities.
“Whenever a multinational attempts to crush a workforce, the union movement will oppose the sort of heavy-handed punitive action we’re seeing being exercised by Peabody mining.
“We saw it earlier this year, when the Japanese multi-national, Opal locked out 300 pulp and paper mill manufacturing workers in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
“These completely disproportionately harsh lock outs need to stop; and our outdated lockout laws reviewed so that employers can’t unilaterally shutout workers taking protected industrial action.
“Working people around Australia are fed up with the corporate arrogance of some multi-nationals who deny local workers an income and the ability to exercise their lawful bargaining rights without being shut out of their workplaces.”
