Union negotiates ‘critical incident leave’ for Anglo Grosvenor workers in new enterprise agreement

Following the hellfire of the 2020 Grosvenor blast, one union has negotiated the introduction of a new kind of leave for safety workers responding to disasters. Here’s how it works.

In an industry first for the coal sector, a select cohort of workers at Anglo American’s Grosvenor mine will enjoy ‘critical incident leave’ in the event of a mine disaster.

The new form of leave is separate from standard sick leave or personal leave and means safety workers responding to traumatic events can take more time off to recover.

The new condition is part of an enterprise agreement negotiated between the Collieries’ Staff and Officials Association and the mining giant and it covers some 40-45 ‘deputies’ at the mine.

A deputy is charged with maintaining safety at the coalface and has the statutory power to shut down operations if he or she believes the safety of miners is at risk.

CSOA Queensland organiser Zac Gallagher said the new leave benefit reflected the reality of a deputy’s job on the ground.

Collieries’ Staff and Officials Association Queensland organiser Zac Gallagher. Picture: Contributed

“These individuals are first responders and they should be treated as such,” he said.

“They can now apply for another form of leave that doesn’t take out of their normal sick leave or personal leave.”

He said one of the deputies covered by the new agreement was a first responder to the 2020 Grosvenor explosion, dragging out miners caught up in the flames.

Halting production can cost many millions in lost earnings and Mr Gallagher said the agreement would help settle a common internal conflict within deputies between their legal obligations to maintain safety and their responsibilities to their employer.

“We have reinforced their ability to halt production and pull up issues without any reprisal on their employment,” Mr Gallagher said.

The union official also said the agreement prohibited casuals from taking on deputy roles.

The new conditions add to impressive salaries, with most deputies earning more than $200,000 a year.

Grosvenor Mine has restarted operations after a methane explosion injured five workers in 2020. Picture: Anglo American

The new agreement follows an announcement from Anglo in September that it would add 200 new permanent roles at its Grosvenor mine in a sign the company is moving away from a labour hire employment model.

The company is also in discussions with the CFMEU to finalise an EA that will cover Grosvenor’s production and maintenance employees.

It is understood the EA will be taken to an employee vote in the near future.

Anglo American executive head for Underground Operations in Steelmaking Coal, Matt Cooper, said the company had been progressively increasing the number of permanent roles across its operations.

“We believe it will support career development and operational stability, helping to underpin the successful operation of the mine going forward,” he said.