German Creek miners call for MP to help

German Creek miners have written to Capricornia MP Michelle Landry asking her to meet with workers who could face forced redundancies within two weeks.

The request follows Anglo American’s most recent industrial attack that will see up to 80 mine workers lose their jobs.

CFMEU Mining and Energy Division QLD District Vice-President Glenn Power said this request represents an opportunity for Ms Landry to stand up for local workers given Ms Landry’s claim of support of Central Queensland mining, jobs and growth during the most recent election campaign.

“The dispute at the German Creek mine is primarily about securing local jobs, and supporting local families and communities in the region. It’s imperative Ms Landry is visible in advocating for fair outcomes for those workers involved,” said Mr Power.

“It is in Ms Landry’s interest as a representative of the Capricornia community to see a positive outcome for workers. The ongoing attack on the people of her community by Anglo American is a clear sign of corporate greed where companies rort our industrial system at the expense of workers.

“These communities have endured an arduous negotiation process of over two years, 17 meetings with Anglo American, and over two months of stop work – at the end of which the company is preparing to pick them off one by one with forced redundancies.”

The CFMEU Mining and Energy Division said the decision to present workers with forced, not voluntary, redundancies may represent potential adverse action against employees engaging in protected industrial action, unlawful under the Fair Work Act 2009.

“There is no time like the present for Ms Landry to meet affected workers and their families,” Mr Power said.

“It is un-Australian that these companies continue to get away with taking advantage of workers, and we hope Ms Landry will see what these actions represent and work with us to see an end to this problem.”

German Creek workers and the union have written to Ms Michelle Landry, at the time of this release no response has yet been received.