Workers at BHP Group’s Queensland coal mines have voted overwhelmingly in favour of job security protections, including shift length stoppages and a ban on non-rostered overtime, the Mining & Energy Union said in a statement on Tuesday.
The union said 90% of voters supported stoppages of one to six hours, while 94% voted for bans on non-rostered overtime, among other actions.
“The next step will be to engage with members and develop an effective plan for protected industrial action to achieve a fairer Enterprise Agreement that recognises the value of job security,” the union’s Queensland district president, Stephen Smyth, said.
About 2,000 workers at the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) seven coal mines are covered under the BMA Central Enterprise Agreement, according to the union.
“We are disappointed about the support for industrial action and remain committed to constructive bargaining in good faith through the existing Fair Work Commission process,” a BHP Mitsubishi Alliance spokesperson said.
(By Harshita Swaminathan and Jaskiran Singh; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
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