BY JESSICA ROUSE
The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) has declared Rix’s Creek have been victorious in their bid for a new deal with The Bloomfield Group.
Workers have been on strike, spending seven weeks on the picket line, fighting for changes to their agreement that they believe was outdated and unfair.
The MEU said the miners have secured what they wanted: significant improvements to accident pay provisions and a 17 per cent pay increase across the life of the agreement backdated to August.
MEU Rix’s Creek Lodge President Mitchell Hill said the result shows what workers can achieve when they stand together.
“This is what the power of organised labour looks like.
“Our members stood shoulder to shoulder for seven long weeks. They held the line, they supported each other, and they have come out the other side with real and meaningful improvements. This win belongs to every single one of them.”
Mitchell said the community’s backing played an essential role throughout the dispute.
“We could not have kept going without the community behind us. Local families, businesses, other union members, and supporters right across the Hunter showed up day after day. Their solidarity helped carry us through.”
Bloomfield have released a brief statement to say they are “pleased to report that they were able to conclude negotiations for a renewed Rix’s Creek Mine Enterprise Agreement with the MEU.”
The agreement was still subject to a formal vote.
Bloomfield said the hourly rate increase to 17 per cent is up 0.25 per cent from the original amount offered at the start of the negotiations, that increase to the hourly rate will occur over the next four years and there are minor changes to accident pay including an additional 13 weeks of site bonus payment added to the accident pay clause for employees off work more than 39 weeks due to a work-related injury.
