Mining union calls on state government to focus on justice for miner killed on the job

The daughters of a mine worker crushed to death at work have thrown their support behind a new campaign calling for justice for those killed on the job.

Graham Dawson (left) and Brad Duxbury (right) were both killed in Central Queensland coal mine incidents.

The daughters of a Central Queensland mine worker crushed to death on the job have lent their combined voice to a campaign calling for justice for those killed at work.

“Our father lost his life working underground. For families like ours, the consequences of a tragic workplace accident burden us every day,” Graham Dawson’s daughters Katrina and Leesh said.

Mr Dawson, 60, was killed and another 25-year-old miner was trapped seriously injured for four hours in a roof fall incident at Sojitz Gregory Crinum coal mine, 60km north east of Emerald, about midnight on September 14, 2021.

He suffered critical injuries and died at the scene – it took days to retrieve his body – while his co worker suffered crush injuries to his pelvis and legs.

Graham Dawson died in a workplace accident at Gregory Crinum mine near Emerald in September, 2021.

The Justice for Miners campaign has been spearheaded by the mining union, and urges mineworkers and community members to write to Resources Minister Scott Stewart and Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace to demand justice for their colleagues killed at work.

“I’m sick of sitting down with the families of members we’ve lost and trying to explain why no one has been held accountable,” MEU Queensland district president Stephen Smyth said.

“Grieving families and communities hear time and time again that no charges are laid, or charges are laid and dropped, or cases are indefinitely held up.”

Mining union Queensland district president Stephen Smyth and Leesh Dawson, whose father Graham Dawson was crushed by a collapsing roof at Crinum Mine, are calling for justice for miners killed at work.

The union is calling on the Queensland government to “get serious” about prosecuting coal companies whose workers have been killed or severely injured at work.

“In 2020, five miners at the Grosvenor Mine were horrifically burned in an explosion and despite a Board of Inquiry finding Anglo American knew gas emissions generated by the rate of production exceeded drainage capacity, no one has been prosecuted,” Mr Smyth said.

Brad Duxbury was killed at Carborough Downs mine site on November 25, 2019.

“In 2021 Graham Dawson was crushed by a collapsing roof at Crinum Mine and despite risk management plans falling short and the failure to deploy strata monitoring devices no charges have been laid.”

Charges were also dismissed against two senior mine workers over the catastrophic death of Bradley Hardwick, who was crushed to death by the grader he had been operating after its braking system allegedly failed on February 20, 2019.

The father of two was crushed to death by the grader he had been operating after its braking system allegedly failed on February 20, 2019.

Other workers who have not made it home at the end of their shifts include Brad Duxbury, who was crushed to death while repairing machinery at Carborough Downs Mine on November 25, 2019, and South Mackay grandfather David Routledge who was crushed using a digger at Middlemount mine the same year.

South Mackay grandfather David Routledge, 55,was using a digger at Middlemount mine when part of the high wall collapsed and engulfed the machine just after midday on June 26, 2019.

Mr Smyth said everyone had the right to return safely from work each day.

“We want guidelines for prosecutions to be reviewed and to take into account the need for mining workers, families and communities to see justice being pursued over fatalities in their industry,” says Mr Smyth.

And when charges can’t be laid, or charges are dropped, we want the relevant authorities to provide a clear explanation.

Katrina and Leesh Dawson are backing the campaign.

“We’re supporting the Justice for Miners campaign and urging the government to ensure mining companies are held accountable when they allow death and injury to occur on their watch,” they said.