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Mixed news today for Huntly East miners

September 18, 2013

Mixed news today for Huntly East miners

Workers at Solid Energy’s Huntly East mine have found out today whether or not they are being offered jobs under the new structure, says the union for miners, the EPMU.

Solid Energy initially announced 92 jobs would be lost in this round of redundancies. The EPMU now understands this has been reduced to 90 redundancies.

“We’ve managed to get a very small number of roles added at the mine,” says Ged O’Connell, EPMU acting national secretary. “But this is still really bad news for the miners who are not being offered work, and for their families and community.”

“These miners have lost their jobs at a time when New Zealand Steel and Genesis Energy are importing coal. It just doesn’t make any sense for coal miners to get laid off when there’s a coal-burning power station on the other side of town.”

“We need a national jobs strategy using the Christchurch rebuild to promote New Zealand steel and coal and protect New Zealand jobs. The Government must do something to stop massive redundancies like this destroying our communities.”

EPMU members at Huntly East are entitled to a redundancy package as part of their collective employment agreement.

ENDS

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