Eight-hundred striking miners and Solid Energy are still at
loggerheads as a two-week-old industrial dispute threatens to
stretch out.
The state-owned coal miner says the strike is costing it
about $10 million in lost production a week, as both sides
blame each other for the impasse.
An estimated 300 people marched through Westport in protest
today, following pickets, go slows and overtime bans
elsewhere in the country.
The dispute started when Huntly's 120 Rotowaro open-cast mine
workers were locked out as contract negotiations failed with
their employer, Australia's HWE Mining, which operates the
mine for Solid Energy.
About 160 Huntly East underground mine workers walked out in
support, followed by 400 workers at the Stockton open-cast
mine in Buller and then 140 workers at Spring Creek Mine near
Greymouth.
All four mines are part of a multi-employer collective
agreement with Solid Energy and its contractors, which has
not been ratified despite expiring months ago.
Solid Energy called on the miners' union, the Engineering,
Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) to end the strikes so
negotiations could resume.
Chief operating officer Barry Bragg said the union had been
irresponsible in drawing South Island staff into a separate
Waikato dispute.
The company had told customers in Japan, India and South
Africa six export shipments would be delayed. Cancelled
orders could mean fewer jobs, he warned.
Mr Bragg said the four strikes had undermined progress made
towards securing the long-term future for the company,
improving productivity, securing orders and producing a
reliable coal supply, he said.
The union was refusing to budge in the Rotowaro talks, did
not want to negotiate and would not return to work until it
got what it wanted, he said.
"That's not good faith bargaining, it's not acceptable to us
and it wouldn't be acceptable to any employer."
But EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell
questioned how Solid Energy could label the union
"irresponsible".
"I am amazed that they would suspend, or be party to a
suspension of part of their workforce, and then be surprised
that others object to it and show unity.
"It suggests the company doesn't know the nature or the
culture of its workforce."
The miner and its workers were now at an impasse. It was "a
classic stand-off", he said.
The union and its members did not like to see the company
lose money and workers go without pay. Mr O'Connell said
Solid Energy should return to good faith bargaining.
The Rotowaro dispute centred on HWE agreeing with Solid
Energy on working conditions and pay without consulting the
workers, he said.
Until the issue was settled the workers, who were determined
and resilient, were saying they were not going back to work.
"They are not of a mind to do that at this stage."
Mr O'Connell would not speculate on how long the miners could
go without work. They were in good spirits and it looked like
the strike would dig in for some time.
"It looks like everyone is dug in pretty deep."
