Grosvenor mine workers angry over alleged job pledge backflip

A group of Moranbah mine contractors are frustrated and angry after mining giant Anglo allegedly backflipped on promised permanent jobs that would have come with a significant wage increase.

Grosvenor Coal Mine. Picture: Daryl Wright

A group of contractors are frustrated and angry after mining giant Anglo allegedly backflipped on promised permanent jobs that would have come with a significant wage increase.

One Key labour hire workers at Moranbah’s Grosvenor mine say they have been left in limbo over their job security.

“It’s beyond frustrating,” one of the workers, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

Letters calling for expressions of interest were sent out to “suitably qualified Grosvenor One Key” contractors to apply for permanent positions as part of the “Grosvenor Workforce Transition”.

Phase one, which occurred in 2022, had involved contractor underground workers being moved to permanent positions under the latest Anglo Grosvenor Enterprise Agreement 2022.

“The whole purpose of this enterprise agreement was to make it a site where everyone was on the same playing field … same job, same pay,” the worker said.

Grosvenor Coal Mine Entry Photo: Daryl Wright

Phase two which is currently under way is aimed at other areas of the mine including surface contractors.

The worker said they were told they would also be brought under the 2022 EA as permanent employees.

He said they were told they had to apply for the roles and it was understood the process was just a formality.

“We were basically told that the shirts were ours,” he said, adding not only did the move come with job security but also a significant pay raise.

Interview dates were set, but a day or two before a number of the One Key workers were due to sit down the interviews were cancelled and they were told they would not be offered permanent jobs under the new EA.

The worker said crews were told they were staying as contractors with One Key and there may be a different arrangement in 12 to 18 months.

“We were told in good faith and given the word and told all the way up to interviews... and then it was pulled from under us,” the worker said.

Grosvenor Coal Mine Entry Photo: Daryl Wright

“It’s our time now – we’ve hung in there, this is our time.”

CFMEU Queensland president Steve Smyth said it made sense for workers to be employed on the same conditions and entitlements.

“In the agreement for Grosvenor there’s nothing that should stop the people on the surface being employed under the same industrial agreement,” Mr Smyth said.

“They dangle this carrot … and say if you stay, you do the right thing, you’ll get a permanent shirt

“They just keep hanging people out … it’s devastating.

“And people will stay and forgo other opportunities for the thought of getting a permanent job.”

Mr Smyth said it was just a continuation of unfair workplace arrangements that did not provide equality “and take away the opportunity of a person to be given secure employment”.

In 2022 Anglo announced it had created 270 permanent jobs over two mines, with 200 earmarked for Grosvenor’s underground workers across the longwall, maintenance, outbye, development and supervisory teams.

“We have now commenced the second phase looking at other areas of Grosvenor operations, which will continue to progress over coming months,” Head of Human Resources for Anglo American’s Steelmaking Coal business, Ben Mansour said.

It is understood that throughout the employment model review process, any existing Grosvenor workforce members who apply for roles are being fast-tracked directly to the interview stage. 

 “We have been progressively increasing the number of permanent roles across all of our steelmaking coal operations in Queensland, as part of our work on supporting and retaining skilled personnel, to help ensure the future sustainability of our business,” Mr Mansour said.