A union official has rejected complaints that Stockton coal
miners went on strike without holding a secret ballot.
The miners who decided on a show of hands to proceed with
their strike had already held a secret ballot approving
strike action, Stockton mine site convenor Dave Reece said.
There had been complaints the Engineering, Printing and
Manufacturing Union had not held a secret ballot to strike.
Mr Reece said the first meeting endorsed industrial action
and gave the negotiating team permission to take whatever
action was necessary.
The second meeting told members the result of negotiations
and asked for a show of hands to proceed with the planned
strike.
That meeting did not require a secret ballot because the
first meeting had had one, Mr Reece said.
"We had no obligation whatsoever at all to go back to the
members to get any sort of further information," he said.
"They had given us permission by secret ballot to take
whatever steps the negotiating team felt was necessary.
That's all there is to it."
He accepted things had moved on from the first meeting -
"they got worse" - but did not accept that the show of hands
might have pressured miners who had changed their minds in
the interim.
"If you have a conviction you will be prepared to stand by
it, and people do."
He acknowledged there was no ballot box at the first meeting,
but said there was nothing wrong with that.
He said the ballots were collected by scrutineers elected by
the rank and file.
They were then counted in front of the meeting, but not where
individual ballot papers could be seen.
Only six votes had opposed a strike.
About 1000 mine workers nationwide return to work at 6am
tomorrow so negotiations with Solid Energy can resume.
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