CFMMEU mining and energy division northern district president Peter Jordan described the protest as workers putting a “toe in the water” for further action over renewing an enterprise agreement which had not been updated in five years. 

Mr Jordan said workers had been “quite tolerant and patient for a long time” but a lack of progress with the EA had caused frustrations to “boil over” 

The mine only resumed operations in August after the NSW Resources Regulator lifted prohibition notices following coal burst incidents earlier this year. It came after the deaths of two miners in a 2014 underground incident.

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“We’ve been locked into negotiations for some time now and the only increase that’s been offered to employees since 2013 has been a two per cent increase,” he said.  

Members are concerned about that and they’ve started to implement some protected industrial action in the form of refusing to attend compulsory training days. We may end up having further action down the road.”

Yancoal said workers received a special two per cent increase in December in recognition of the mine circumstances, and it had offered a four per cent increase over two years and introduced a retention scheme. 

“As a package, this proposal has the ability to deliver between 11-14 per cent of their current package within the first 12 months, inclusive of the retention payment,” Yancoal said in a statement. 

“We believe the package offered is fair, reasonable, in accordance with market rates and also recognises the circumstances which have affected the Austar Mine site to date.

“At the operational level, we are focused on completing the scheduled longwall move in the interests of the safety of our people and to support the proposed recommencement of production in other mining areas later in the year.”