Vol. 73/No. 48      December 14, 2009

On November 28 the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union held a meeting here to inform coal miners’ supporters and their families about the facts in the strike. Nearly 100 people attended.

The bosses at the state-owned Solid Energy company had leafleted miners’ households advertising a company-organized meeting the same day.

The dispute began October 27 when 160 miners at the company’s Rotowaro mine here were locked out during contract negotiations. Miners at the nearby Huntly East mine, and at Stockton and Spring Creek mines in the South Island, about 1,000 workers in total, responded by going on strike. Pickets were set up at all four mines. About 300 Stockton miners and their supporters marched through the neighboring town of Westport November 10.

The four mines are covered by a common Multi Employer Collective Agreement, with additional site-specific provisions at each mine. Agreements were reached at Rotowaro and Stockton, but workers there voted to remain on strike in support of the underground Huntly East miners. The union at that mine points out that under a new seven-day roster they will have to work extra overtime to retain their current earnings.

Jim Yates, the union’s delegate at the opencast Rotowaro mine, told the community meeting, “We got our agreement because of the support of the South Island and the East miners. Now we are supporting them. It’s about sticking together.” While accepting a new shift pattern, unionists at Rotowaro fought off a company attempt to cut back guaranteed pay for work prevented by rain, and won an improved redundancy (severance) agreement and time-and-a-half for overtime.

Several of the miners’ family members asked questions and raised concerns at the meeting. “I have nothing but admiration for my husband and son who go down that hole every day,” said Shelley Lynch. “I’m 100 percent behind any decision the men go by, even if it means mince [hamburger] for Christmas dinner.”
 
 
Related articles:
London: Bus drivers strike over wage freeze
Philadelphia transit workers end 6-day strike
Workers in Iran fight for back pay, higher wages  
 
 
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