The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) members employed by Griffin Coal, friends and family members are staging a 24 hour protest in front of the mine’s premises.
The protected industrial action comes in response to the Fair Work Commission’s decision that will see 70 maintenance workers receive a 43 per cent pay cut and shift changes to seven days on and three days off and seven nights on and four days off.
The protest began at 5.30am on Friday, June 24, with hundreds of people turning out to support the AMWU’s claim for a replacement enterprise agreement.
AMWU Lead Organiser Glenn McLaren said the protest stands against the unfair treatment of the Griffin workforce.
“We’ve got a foreign multinational company that has run this place into the ground, it’s in a lot of strife and they think that by applying to the FWC and reducing our member’s wages by up to 43 per cent it is going to solve all their problems,” he said.
“Our members have a lawful right to take industrial action, we’ve been negotiating for a year and a half and we’ve never exercised it.
“However there comes a point where you’ve got to say ‘enough is enough’, and draw a line in the sand.
“It sends a very clear message – we’re standing here is solidarity with the community about what the effect of this wage cut may be.”
One Griffin employee said the cuts and shift changes would have immediate effect on their livelihood.
“I’ve got a house and mortgage and three little kids but we would have to leave Collie,” they said.
“It would be devastating with the knock-on effects in the town.”
Mother of a Griffin employee Donna Davies said the protest provided an opportunity for employees and the community to have their voices heard.
“It’s extremely important to show solidarity about this issue and that we’re not going to sit down and take what is dished out to us,” she said.
“People have a right in our society to voice their concerns and that’s what we’re doing in a peaceful and democratic means."
A community meeting was held at the Collie Mine Workers Institute on Tuesday, June 21 over the cut’s effect on families and the community.
Community meeting organiser and wife of a Griffin employee Leonie Scoffern said the meeting and protest stood for the workers, families and community set to be impacted.
“People saw the knock-on effect that is going to be on in the town,” she said.
“The meeting mood was really quite sombre, just with the emotion that some of the speakers showed that it has an impact on the community.
“It shows the support for the workers, and obviously the money comes into it, but also it’s not a family-friendly roster.”
