Bowen Basin Mine Workers Tell The Government Where To Go

Queensland mining company QCoal and its partners have launched a public campaign against the State Labor Government over a decision which they say will force 800 mine workers to live in a town without shops, permanent police, or medical facilities.
 
QCoal, which owns and operates six mines across Queensland, says it was blindsided by the State Government “cynically introducing targeted legislation attached to a child protection bill”.

“The secret legislation will force the closure of an established mining camp and threaten the future of Byerwen mine and its 800 jobs,” a QCoal representative said in a media statement.

QCoal group’s website for the campaign says that the effect of this is to force workers who are happily living in regional Queensland to uproot themselves and their families to move to the tiny mining town of Glenden.
 
“Families and children of workers would be torn from the homes, schools, and jobs they love or have the awful choice of living separately from their loved ones,” the campaign reads.

“And these workers would then be forced to travel up to two hours to and from work each day, on unsafe roads, after long 12.5-hour shifts.
 
“Unhappy workers who don’t want to move, uproot their families, give up their lifestyle or travel while exhausted are out of luck.

“The State Government says it’s this or lose your job!”

QCoal has joined with other companies affected by the legislation to form Energy Resources Queensland (ERQ) to run a campaign against the State Government decision in the lead-up to the State Election.
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Image source: qcoal.com.au

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