Premier Coal Miners Back Strike, Threatening WA's Energy Grid
Industrial action looms for Western Australia's energy grid as unionised staff at Premier Coal go on strike over pay and redundancy concerns. The move could disrupt power supplies, despite the state government claiming it has stockpiled coal.
Industrial action is set to hit the heart of Western Australia's power grid after talks between unionised staff and management at one of the state's struggling coal mines broke down.
Premier Coal is the main supplier to state-owned power provider Synergy's Muja and Collie power plants, 200km south of Perth. The mine is owned by Yancoal Australia, which is controlled by Chinese state-backed miner Yankuang Energy Group.
Workers are pushing for better pay and clarity on their redundancies as part of their final enterprise agreement, with WA's state-owned coal power plants set to be shuttered by 2030. Final talks on Wednesday morning failed to reach a resolution, setting the scene for strike action, according to Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) state secretary Steve McCartney.