October 1, 2024
Members at Batchfire’s Callide mine are undertaking work stoppages and stopping coal loadings onto trains to secure permanent jobs, more training opportunities and better pay.
The protected industrial action follows a drawn-out bargaining period with minimal concessions from the company. Already, union members at Callide have undertaken shift length stoppages, and additional action remains ongoing.
Action was supported near-unanimously by Callide Valley Lodge members, with at least 98% of voters supporting all proposed measures in the protected action ballot.
Callide Valley Lodge Secretary Dave Wieden says this shows how united workers are in their demand for a fairer go.
“All of our members have lost at least one shift in the past week, which is money directly out of their pockets However, we are resolved to continue taking action until Batchfire gets the message that we’re serious about our claims.”
Callide members are continuing to take targeted action into October including initiating common crib breaks and 1-12 hour stoppages, restricting the coal feed rate for the coal plant, and not loading trains on certain shifts. Additionally, they are maintaining their voluntary overtime ban for the duration of the action period.
MEU members at Callide are seeking a better ratio of direct employees to labour hire in the mine’s workforce, as well involvement in the recruiting process to ensure that new directly employed roles are filled by the labour hire contractors already working on site. Members also want to expand the Lodge’s paid monthly meetings to include overtime for workers attending on their days off.
Additionally, members want increased transparency in training, as well as changes to make the training and upskilling process fairer. This includes the company covering the cost of all training, increasing wages of trainees, and separating training streams for production and engineering workers.
Dave said he hopes these changes will make a big difference in the career progression of his workmates.
“We’ve seen instances where Batchfire has hired multiskilled operators from outside the company rather than train the staff they already have who are dying to have a go. The only difference between a truck driver and a digger-driver is the opportunity to upskill.”
Remuneration is also a key element of the Callide workers’ claims. Since Batchfire took over the site in 2016 pay has only gone up by 6%. With the inflationary pressures of the last several years and during a cost of living crisis, this means that Batchfire workers have seen their pay go backwards in real terms.
This is compounded by the fact that Callide is a largely residential mine, with approximately 80% of workers living in nearby Biloela or the greater Banana shire, meaning that local pay has a significant impact on the economic health of the community.
Callide Valley Lodge is seeking a pay increase to bring wages in line with the median in the Queensland coal industry, which will also flow onto labour hire members on 1 November due to the Union’s Same Job Same Pay win at the mine.
Workers are also seeking an increase in shift penalty rates, and the inclusion of production bonuses in the EA rather than at the discretion of management. These claims have been largely unaddressed by management, who have instead offered a small one-off payment and minor pay increases over the term of the new agreement.
“We’ve given Batchfire eight years to get established, but they’re still crying poor.” Dave said. “Our members just want a fair go this time around.”
Protected industrial action will continue at Callide into October.