By Sean Healy
CANBERRA — In what was dubbed by its leaders a "high risk strategy", coal miners from as far afield as Collinsville and Bowen in central Queensland marched on Parliament House on March 1 in protest at threatened job losses. The miners, members of the United Mine Workers, had in some cases been on buses for three days before reaching Canberra.
The march, accompanied by a week-long nationwide strike, was called in opposition to the expected impact on job security of a 12% cut in coal prices, agreed to in a deal between the Japanese steel industry and Australian coal exporters. The UMW is concerned that the price cut, equivalent to US$3.85 per tonne, will be passed on to workers in the form of job losses.
The UMW's demands focus on increased federal government intervention in the coal industry through a series of programs aimed at alleviating the impact of the price cut on miners.
The miners were particularly angered by employer attempts to intimidate them into staying at work. Speaking to the rally, UMW general president John Maitland said, "The level of intimidation our members have experienced is unprecedented. If it continues after we all get back to work next week, it'll be met by further action."
There was also a considerable amount of anger at the inaction of the federal Labor government. "There's not much difference between the policies of the two major parties. They're united by economic rationalism, and it's that policy being implemented for 10 years that's brought about the present crisis", Maitland continued.
The Labor MHR for Charlton, Bob Brown, was booed and jeered when he attempted to speak to the rally.
In addition to voting to stay on strike until midnight March 4, the miners passed motions in solidarity with members of the Maritime Union of Australia after their action against Australian Stevedores and with the National Union of Miners of South Africa, who had a representative at the rally.