Premier Coal workers approve strike in pay dispute

• Hundreds of workers at the Collie mine voted to approve strike action following a pay and redundancy package dispute.
• The potential stoppage threatens coal supply to state-owned power stations ahead of planned facility closures by 2030.
• The Western Australian State Government is currently urging Premier Coal to merge with the collapsed competitor Griffin Coal.

Premier Coal workers at the Collie mine have voted in favour of strike action as pay negotiations stall.

The industrial action comes as the mine faces workforce reductions ahead of the state government's planned closure of coal-fired power stations by 2030.

“The last thing they should be doing after all this support is sending the money back to China,” said Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union State Secretary Steve McCartney.

The Mining & Energy Union ballot closed with an 86 to seven vote for a stoppage, while Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union members backed the motion 52 to 4.

The state government is currently supporting neighbouring producer Griffin Coal while encouraging a potential merger between the two Collie operators.

The mine supplies taxpayer-owned Synergy power facilities, making the upcoming union talks critical for local energy security.