Thousands of rank and file coal mineworkers began a series of mass meetings in Central Queensland today to consider their response to BHP’s continued stonewalling on a settlement to a new Enterprise Agreement at the company’s seven coal operations.

Rank and file meetings will be held in Blackwater and Emerald today and in Dysart and Moranbah tomorrow to hear a report back from Union representatives on the latest stalemate in negotiations.

Our Union along with the AMWU and the ETU have been in negotiations with BHP on a new EA since November 2010. With the existing EA expiring in May last year almost 90% of members voted in support of a campaign of protected industrial action and following this when BHP walked away from the negotiating table and put an offer to its workforce, it was rejected by a staggering 92% in a secret ballot.

In mid-December, BHP agreed to a series of intensive negotiations and while some progress had been made, the company maintained a hard line in a number of areas of vital concern to mineworkers and their families.

Queensland President Stephen Smyth said that among the main sticking points are company demands that would undermine safety and health at work; favouring staff, contractors and labour hire at EA workers expense; refusing equal pay for equal work; and BHP’s demand to retain WorkChoices provisions attacking our rights at work.

“We are not in the game of selling our members short. We will put the facts to the rank and file and as usual our members will democratically decide where we go from here”, he said.