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Same Job, Same Pay delivers 300 direct jobs at Appin mine

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Illawarra Coal has agreed to employ 300 labour hire workers under new two-year fixed term roles at the Appin mine in New South Wales.

The decision was handed down by the Fair Work Commission under Same Job, Same Pay legislation, which will see affected workers receive up to $20,000 more per year in line with their permanently employed counterparts.

Mining and Energy Union south western district president Bob Timbs said the announcement was a win for workers who will be directly employed by the mine.

“Currently about half of all production workers in our region are employed through labour hire contract arrangements, rather than directly through the mine operator,” Timbs said.

“Significantly, this means that 300 more workers will be covered by the Appin Enterprise Agreement.

“We are also hopeful that the two-year fixed term arrangement will provide a pathway to ongoing permanent jobs down the track.”

Appin Mine incorporates the underground mining operations which extract coal from the Bulli Seam, and associated surface activities, including the West Cliff coal preparation plant (WCCPP) and coal wash emplacement area.

Run-of-mine coal is extracted from the Appin underground mining operations and delivered directly to the WCCPP by winder and conveyor or is transported from the Appin East pit top via truck along Appin and Wedderburn roads to the WCCPP.

Processed coal (clean coal product) from the WCCPP is transported by road to the Port Kembla coal terminal for shipping to domestic and international customers, or to BlueScope Steel or other local customers.

Appin mine has been operating since 1962 and includes the merged Appin and Tower colleries.

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