QLD: Miners union could face huge lawsuit over strike

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-1999
QLD: Miners union could face huge lawsuit over strike

By Barbara Adam

BRISBANE, Aug 14 AAP - The coalminers' union could be facing a multi-million lawsuit by the
mining companies that were shut down by the 24-hour strike that finished at midnight last
night.

Queensland Mining Council executive director Michael Pinnock said mining companies could
lodge a damages claim following the strike, which stopped production at most of the state's 43
coal mines.

"The companies affected by the strike are looking at their legal options under the federal
legislation," he said.

About 200 coalminers across Australia walked off the job at midnight on Thursday to protest
against the federal government's refusal to bail out the Oakdale miners who were left without
their payout entitlements when their employer went bust.

The strike is estimated to have cost the companies between $20 million and $30 million in
lost production.

When workers failed to show for the start of the midnight shift on Thursday night, coal
mining companies Shell, BHP, Rio Tinto and Theiss obtained a Supreme Court injunction to halt
the strike called by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).

Under the wording of the injunction, the CFMEU was not to incite or encourage its members
to participate in the strike.

Union officials, uncontactable during the 24-hour stoppage, today said they were unaware of
the injunction but the union had not actively encouraged any members to strike after the
injunction was obtained.

The union had faxed out an order to strike about 5pm on Thursday and no further strike
instructions had been issued, CFMEU mineworkers division Queensland president Andrew Vickers
said.

And until early this morning, the CFMEU had also been unaware of a subsequent Supreme Court
order requiring the union to order its members back to work.

Mr Vickers said he had not been served personally with the order.

Instead he had found it taped to his front gate at 6.15am today when he went looking for a
fox that had eaten one of his chooks.

Mr Vickers said he had complied with the order immediately and by 7.30am today all CFMEU
members would have received a fax calling off the strike that ended at midnight.

AAP bja/wjf

KEYWORD: OAKDALE DAYLEAD

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