Anglo American has confirmed it will continue to pay Grosvenor workers while efforts to quell the ongoing fire at its Central Queensland coal mine continues.
Grosvenor has been closed since June 30 when a fire broke out underground. Anglo said it has made significant progress to temporarily seal Grosvenor and stabilise the emergency response.
Since them, the miner has released a joint statement with the Isaac Regional Council, the Mining & Energy Union, the Electrical Trades Union, the Collieries Staff and Officials Association and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
“Grosvenor mine is a significant employer in the Moranbah region, and we recognise its positive impact reaches far beyond the mine gates,” Anglo said a statement.
“We’ve established an industry-first working group consisting of senior leaders from Anglo American Steelmaking Coal and senior representatives from all unions covering the company’s operations in Queensland.
“The group’s objective is to support the long-term sustainability of the Grosvenor mine workforce.”
Anglo said it is committed to working together with unions to create continuous job opportunities and minimise uncertainty for its impacted workforce.
“Today, we are pleased to confirm payment extension from July 15 to August 31 for all employees and embedded contractors working full-time at Grosvenor in operations or staff roles,” the company said.
“Our priority is to provide added security for the Grosvenor workforce while we fully stabilise the mine to then begin assessing all options going forward.”
Within this time, Anglo aims to understand the ongoing permanent workforce requirements at Grosvenor.
This will include potential internal redeployment opportunities available at other Anglo American operations in Queensland, including the Dawson mine open-cut operations, the Capcoal Complex, including Aquila, as well as the Brisbane corporate office.
Anglo will work with the Minerals Council of Australia, the Minerals Council of NSW, and the Queensland Resources Council over the coming weeks to discuss employment opportunities for Grosvenor workers.
Subscribe to Safe to Work for the safety news that matters most to the Australian mining industry.