Support grows for sacked Gordonstone miners

February 24, 1999
Issue 

By Paul Glenning

ROCKHAMPTON — The 17-month dispute at Gordonstone mine in central Queensland has escalated over the past two weeks as the new owner, Rio Tinto, has attempted to bus non-union labour onto the mine site.

Meeting them every afternoon at the change of shift is a 150 to 300-strong picket, forcing the company either to return the bus to the work site or endure a drive at walking pace between cordons of picketers.

One condition of the picket is that, as the bus crosses the picket line, it must have its window curtains undrawn so that those on board show their faces. On two occasions the bus has been forced to return to the mine. In the first instance the company flew out the scab labour; on the night of February 17, after 53 arrests, the non-union labour was forced to sleep over night at the mine site.

Solidarity has come from across the county. Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union in Mackay, the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union in Townsville, the Transport Workers Union from Brisbane and Sydney and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union from Sydney plan to fly up in a DC10 on a regular basis.

Some workers have shown their support for the miners by simply jumping in their cars at the end of their shifts and driving to the picket site from as far away as Townsville and Brisbane. With such an influx of support it is expected that the picket will swell to 400 to 500 by Thursday (February 25).

The strategy of Rio Tinto is to have as many non-unionists as possible on its payroll before the next sitting of the Federal Court on February 24. By employing a similar strategy to that of ARCO in the Hunter Valley dispute, Rio Tinto hopes to bypassing the issue of re-employment of the 312 sacked in October 1997.

The union is seeking to enforce the prior ruling by the Industrial Relations Commission that the owners of Gordonstone preferentially employ from the pool of miners sacked by ARCO.

Gordonstone lodge president Stuart Vaccaneo emphasises the need for the picket at this stage of proceedings: "Maintaining the protest action destroys the argument of Rio Tinto that it is re-employing from ex-union employees. We are fighting for the rights of all Australians here. Rio Tinto is embarking on a secret recruitment campaign and has never advertised positions that we can apply for.

"They have refused to interview any of the sacked miners and have refused to negotiate with the union. On the issue of ex-members of the CFMEU, they in fact only have eight transfers from other mines; the rest of the non-union work force were former staff and bosses with the mine."

Outside the picket site, the union is planning a march and rally on Saturday, February 27, at 9am, from the Lion Park to the Botanical Gardens for a family day with barbecue and drinks. Messages of support can be sent directly to the picket line on 0417 742 287, fax 07 4982 3612. Those wishing to donate to the sacked miners and their families please send to PO Box 384, Emerald Qld 4720.

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