The CFMEU will offer a skeleton crew to unload 50,000 tonne of coal from trains at the Port Kembla terminal during its protected industrial action to ensure safety at an Illawarra mine.

CFMEU District Vice President Bob Timbs today said the union was pleased to have struck a deal with one of the terminal users, Metropolitan Coal, to unload coal from trains transporting coal to lessen stockpiles at the company’s Helensburgh Colliery.

The Peabody Coal subsidiary agreed to the offer after it alerted the union that stockpiles at Helensburgh were close to their limits, causing safety and operational issues.

Metropolitan told the union rain was also an issue after testing revealed increasing water levels within the stockpile.

With this in mind the union offered to unload no more than 50,000 tonne from trains arriving at Port Kembla from Helensburgh on condition that the work would be completed within 14 days within acceptable operational conditions.

Mr Timbs said workers this morning agreed to the plan because industry safety was paramount for his members.

“The union understands that as a result of the workers’ protected stoppage action coal stockpiles have reached a critical point at Helensburgh, and this could have safety or operational issues for workers there,” he said.

“Our members have offered a nominated skeleton crew to be deployed to ensure safety limits are not breached,” he said.

Mr Timbs said the union would consider requests from other terminal users in similar circumstances that did not conflict with their protected industrial action with the terminal operator, BHP.

“The worker stoppages are about sending a message to the management of terminal operator BHP to provide a fair Agreement,” Mr Timbs said.

“Safety is always first and foremost for us, especially during industrial action."

Contact: Bob Timbs 0417 562 783 / Martin Watters 0400 179 620