Queensland District

The June 2019 Common Cause has been emailed to members.

• The 'Jetstar' model lands at BHP mines - Peak Downs and Saraji are the latest targets for a cut price workforce emplyed by labour haire company, Operations Services
• Lessons from lockout inspire scholarship winner - successful applicants share their stories, plus full list of this year's winners
• Farewell Andy Honeysett - the South West Distric President retires this month

Plus much more news in this month's issue.

Congratulations to Halle Brown and Aimee Williamson, who were among 20 successful applicants for this year’s round of Mineworkers Trust scholarships.

A long interest in law and commitment to social justice

Halle has hit the ground running in her five-year double degree in social science and law at the University of Newcastle, earning distinctions and high distinctions in a ‘busy, exciting and challenging’ first semester.

The establishment of a mobile screening van to test Queensland coal mineworkers for dust diseases such as Black Lung will save lives, according to the CFMEU Mining & Energy Division.

CFMEU Mining & Energy Queensland President Steve Smyth today said many current and former mineworkers were missing out on respiratory screening.

“The mobile service will make it much easier for mineworkers, including retired mineworkers, to get vital health services in their home towns.

The CFMEU Mining and Energy Division is appalled by the disrespect Origin Energy management has shown Darling Downs Power Station workers by circumventing negotiations and attempting to ram through an unfair enterprise agreement (EA) with a surprise vote.

Workers at Darling Downs Power Station have been attempting to negotiate a new, fairer deal that would remove the current requirement for workers to provide hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime. Currently, workers are expected to be permanently on call through hours of unpaid overtime being built into their salary.

The Queensland Government’s approval of the Olive Downs coal mine in the Bowen Basin will deliver a massive boost to jobs and confidence in regional mining communities, CFMEU Mining and Energy said today.

“Coal miners in Central Queensland will have a spring in their step today knowing that a major new project is coming on line to deliver jobs and economic benefit to the region,” said CFMEU Mining and Energy Queensland President Stephen Smyth.

Workers at New Acland have emphatically voted down a proposed enterprise agreement that would shaved locked in a toxic two-tier wage system at the mine.

Of the 191 votes registered, 170 voted ‘no.’ The manager of New Acland mine, New Hope, had sprung the vote on workers, despite the matter being before the Fair Work Commission.

CFMEU Mining and Energy Queensland Vice President Shane Brunker said the emphatic result should send a strong message to New Hope.

In a gesture of solidarity and a commitment to stand by them throughout their ordeal, our Union’s Oaky North Lodge in Central Queensland presented Honorary Life membership to four of their former workmates suffering from Black Lung Disease.

Speaking before a crowded May Day celebration in Tieri, Lodge President Ross Clark presented Gary Schnidt, Brad Rogers, Brad Toby and Tim Trewin with their Honorary Life Membership certificates as the Tieri community loudly applauded.

Our legal team has been in the Federal Court this week, defending our landmark win for casual mineworkers. Labour hire bosses and the Morrison Government are trying to overturn it. National Legal Director Alex Bukarica explains.

Federal Government intervention in a court case to wind back casual rights will give big mining companies the green light to keep exploiting casual labour hire workers, the CFMEU said today.

The full Federal Court will this week hear the matter of WorkPac v Rossato, a case brought by labour hire giant WorkPac designed to wind back the court’s prior decision in the matter of casual coal miner Paul Skene. The court awarded Mr Skene backpaid annual leave on his departure from a Rio Tinto mine on the grounds his job was not genuinely casual.

Russell Robertson is a proud central Queensland coal miner and CFMEU member. Now he's running for federal parliament, fighting for a coal industry that delivers for workers.

Russell is a third generation coal miner who was born in Clermont and raised his own family in Moranbah, where he has worked at Goonyella mine for 17 years.

He is urging voters to ignore the National Party’s fake coal scare campaign and decide what sort of coal industry they want – one that looks after workers or just the multinational mine owners.