Miners fight price-cutters' global threat to jobs

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions,
ICEM Update, No. 99, 15 December 1998

Australia's 48-hour coal strike was an overwhelming success. The nationwide action ended at 11 pm local time, and the 20,000 strikers are now returning to work, in line with the mandate given by the rank-and-file to their union, the CFMEU.

But the strike was just the first shot in a campaign against the disastrous price-cutting practices of Australian coal producers, CFMEU General President Tony Maher warned.

The union estimates that a further 2,000 jobs, or 10 per cent of the current workforce, could be lost as a result of the recent 18 per cent price cut for coking coal offered by Australian producers Shell, MIM and North Goonyella. The reduced price is the new low benchmark for the settlement of all coal contracts under negotiation with Japanese buyers.

4,000 jobs have already been lost in the Australian coal industry recently. Maher said that further job cuts would not only add to the devastation of Australian mining communities, but would also put further pressure on health and safety in coal mines. In the past 12 months, he pointed out, Australian coal miners had delivered a 20 per cent increase in productivity. However, what we've got in ret urn is retrenchments, award stripping, decreases in allowances and reduction in basic wages. Our members have been expected to cut their own throats.

He called on Australia's right-wing federal government to join all the other stakeholders in Australia's coal industry to discuss the problems and work towards solutions which will stem the loss of jobs and stop the abuse of a national asset. The federal government has so far boycotted a forum held by employers and unions on this issue, although the governments of the major coal-producing states Queensland and New South Wales are taking part. The forum's next meeting is in Brisbane on 17 December.

Some companies took the union to court over the strike. In New South Wales, the Supreme Court issued a return-to-work order at three mines in the Hunter Valley, owned by the Rio Tinto company Coal and Allied. But in the Federal Court in Queensland, an application by Thiess Contractors for an injunction against the union was rejected. The union complied with the Hunter Valley ruling, but will be ap pealing against it. The CFMEU will also mount legal challenges to other employers' court applications against the union.

At the global level, the CFMEU is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).

This is a battle on behalf of miners everywhere, with the CFMEU at the forefront, ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe emphasised. By offering massive price cuts and reductions in volume, the Australian producers are threatening thousands of coal mining jobs on all continents. The Australian miners have delivered a clear reply to the irresponsibility of the producers and of the Australian federal government. Through the ICEM, our Australian brothers and sisters can count on the support of their colleagues worldwide.