Lockout lifted but Helensburgh Lodge stands firm
Friday, 11 July
MEU Helensburgh Lodge are sticking to their guns and demanding any new agreement retain their longstanding job security clause, despite mine owner Peabody buckling under pressure and lifting their lockout at 5:30pm last night.
Miners at Metropolitan mine in Helensburgh will continue to undertake partial work bans, as well as partial and full shift stoppages, until Peabody returns to the table with an acceptable offer, which recognises the hard work they perform, and revenue they generate for the US-based multinational.
South Coast community rallies behind Helensburgh miners
Tuesday, 8 July
Locked out Helensburgh miners were today joined on the picket by local unions, members of the community and the South Coast Labour Council in protest of Peabody’s protracted and disproportionate lockout.
Peabody is leaning on these workers to give away their job security clause and accept sub-inflation pay increases, but it isn’t working out in their favour.
These standover tactics might work in the US, but Peabody needs to learn that Helensburgh is a Union Town! 
Send your message of solidarity to the Helensburgh Lodge.
Locked our miners form picket in Helensburgh
Thursday, 3 July
Locked out miners form picket in Helensburgh
Locked out MEU members from Metropolitan mine in Helensburgh have today formed a picket, in protest of mine owner Peabody’s ruthless anti-worker bargaining tactics.
MEU Helensburgh Lodge members have been locked out for almost two weeks now, in retaliation for taking a single action stop work. Workers are fighting to protect their longstanding job security clause, which prevents Peabody from replacing permanent jobs with lower paid labour hire contractors.
Send your message of support to the Helensburgh Lodge.
Helensburgh lockout shows why laws must change
Friday, 27 June
The Mining and Energy Union and ACTU are demanding a change to unfair and punitive lockout laws, following members at the Metropolitan Mine near Helensburgh being locked out by their employer for almost three weeks in retaliation for taking one hour of industrial action.
Since November the MEU Helensburgh lodge has been engaged in bargaining with Peabody, the owner of Metropolitan. Peabody has consistently failed to cede ground on many of the Lodge’s claims, leading to multiple conciliation hearings in the Fair Work Commission.
Particularly contentious is Peabody’s efforts to remove the mine’s longstanding job security clause, which sets the ratio of directly employed workers to labour hire contractors, and prevents Peabody from replacing permanent jobs with labour hire. The Helensburgh Lodge is also seeking pay increases to bring the site in line with Illawarra standards.
In pursuit of these claims, MEU members voted overwhelming to pursue industrial action, notifying Peabody of their intent to take one-hour stop works at the beginning of some shifts, as well as placing partial work bans on the transport of wide loads through the main drift and on training.
Having only undertaken a single one-hour stop work each, the Helensburgh miners were shocked on Wednesday 18 June to discover that Peabody had locked them out for over a week, denying wages to the workers and their families. Expecting to return to work on Thursday 25 June, they again had the rug pulled out from under them when Peabody extended the lockout to 6 July.
Helensburgh Lodge President Matt Potter said that workers were undeterred by Peabody’s strategy of coercion and would continue to fight for fair pay and job security.
“Peabody’s standover tactics are designed to intimidate us into giving up our bargaining rights, but we aren’t ready to roll over,” Matt said.
“We’ve been through several years of stagnate wage growth and cost of living pressures, while continually setting production records at the mine.
“We’re not ready to give up yet, this isn’t our first rodeo.”
Indeed, punitive and disproportionate lockouts have long been a favoured tactic of Peabody, and they are becoming increasingly prominent in other operations. This is Matt’s fifth lockout in as many EAs at the site, making vindictive employer response depressingly routine for the miners.
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus called on the Federal Government to reform the laws which enable disproportionate Employer Response Action, drawing a comparison to TFTU members who were locked out by their employer in January.
“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” McManus said.
“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.”
McManus’ views were echoed by South West District President Bob Timbs, who also called for the law to be changed to prevent draconian response actions.
“Peabody’s disproportionate response reveals a totally uneven playing field. Union members are required to hold a vote, reach a consensus on industrial action and notify employers in advance; employers are able to unilaterally lock out workers in response for as long as they want, denying the workers and their families an income.”
“This is an important unfinished reform that we urge the Government to address without delay, to fulfill their commitment to fair and genuine workplace bargaining.”
District Vice President Mark Jenkins, who sits on the MEU bargaining team for Metropolitan, hoped that US coal giant would recognise that their strategy was failing, and come back to the table in good faith.
“Peabody needs to drop the Trump-style bullying tactics and engage constructively with MEU members demands.
“Helensburgh miners aren’t intimidated by Peabody’s heavy-handed strategy; it has only strengthened their resolve to secure a better deal for their families and workmates.”
‘Standover tactics’: Helensburgh lockout extended to almost three weeks
Thursday, 26 June
US coal giant Peabody last night informed the Mining and Energy Union it is extending the lockout of workers at the Helensburgh underground coal mine until 6 July. This brings the duration of the lockout to almost three weeks – in retaliation for one hour of protected industrial action by the miners in defence of fair pay and job security.
The Mining and Energy Union is today calling on the Federal Government to reform workplace laws that allow totally disproportionate and punitive employer action in response to workers exercising their bargaining rights.
Since 18 June Mining and Energy Union members at Metropolitan Mine have been locked out without pay by Peabody. Expecting to return to work on Thursday morning, the miners were instead notified on Wednesday evening that Peabody had extended the lockout.
Bob Timbs, MEU South Western District President is calling for the Federal Government to amend the legislation around industrial action to prevent overtly disproportionate lockouts.
“More and more we’re seeing well-resourced multinational employers respond to industrial action by locking out workers, often for orders of magnitude longer than the initial worker’s disruption.
“Peabody’s disproportionate response reveals a totally uneven playing field. Union members are required to hold a vote, reach a consensus on industrial action and notify employers in advance; employers are able to unilaterally lock out workers in response for as long as they want, denying the workers and their families an income.”
“This is an important unfinished reform that we urge the Government to address without delay, to fulfill their commitment to fair and genuine workplace bargaining.”
Helensburgh mineworker and MEU delegate Matt Potter says the workers aren’t deterred by Peabody’s strategy of coercion and would continue fighting for fair pay and to defend job security:
“Peabody’s standover tactics are designed to intimidate us into giving up our bargaining rights, but we aren’t ready to roll over.
“We’ve been through several years of stagnate wage growth and cost of living pressures, while continually setting production records at the mine.
“Peabody are posting hundreds of millions in profit for their shareholders, meanwhile we are the lowest paid coal miners in the southern coalfields. We are simply asking for the retention of our longstanding job security clause, and a pay rise to bring us in line with the other mines in the area.”
Helensburgh Miners Locked out!
Friday, 20 June
US coal giant Peabody has locked out miners for over a week at their Metropolitan Mine near Helensburgh, in retaliation for union action that stopped work for a single hour.
Earlier this week, Mining and Energy Union members at the South Coast mine engaged in one hour shift stoppages in response to Peabody’s lack of progress in negotiations, which also include a blatant attack on job security.
In retaliation, Peabody has notified Mining and Energy Union members that they will be locked out without pay from 5:30pm on Wednesday, 18 June until 5:30am on Thursday, 26 June.
Mark Jenkins, Vice President of the MEU South West District, said that Peabody’s lockout is a harsh response aimed at coercing MEU members into giving up their bargaining position.
“Peabody’s move to lock out MEU members for over a week is nothing but an attempt to punish and intimidate workers for exercising their industrial rights.
“Through several years of low wage growth compared to high inflation and cost of living pressures, workers at Helensburgh have been continually setting production records at the mine for their employer. Now, they deserve to see some of the benefit that they were promised in the last agreement.”
Peabody’s decision is particularly disappointing as the lockout notice came less than two hours after a Fair Work Commission-facilitated conciliation meeting on the dispute, which was attended MEU representatives in good faith.
“That well-resourced multinational employers are able to deny workers a full week’s wages in retaliation for comparatively minor industrial action is an indictment of the disproportionality available to employers under the current laws.
“Peabody needs to drop the Trump-style bullying tactics and engage constructively with MEU members demands.
“Helensburgh miners aren’t intimidated by Peabody’s heavy-handed strategy; it has only strengthened their resolve to secure a better deal for their families and workmates.”