Union calls for clarity

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union claims the ongoing dispute between Griffin Coal and Bluewaters Power Station is causing its members unnecessary stress and anxiety and has called for more transparency from the coal miner. Griffin will head to court later this month to dispute the validity of default notices issued to them by Bluewaters. It was announced last month Griffin had defaulted under its supply arrangements with the Japanese-owned company, which at the time claimed Griffin would be put in the hands of a Bluewaters-appointed controller if breaches were not rectified. AMWU State secretary Steve McCartney said union members had been kept in the dark over the matter. “Our members are getting no comfort out of this,” he said. “We want them to come clean and give our members some understanding of what is going on and we are interested to see what comes out of court. “All this does is create more anxiety, if they are in the right, at least confirm to our members that everything is OK, and why that is.” In a statement, A Griffin Coal spokesperson simply said “Griffin Coal disputes the validity of the default notices issued by Bluewaters and has applied to have the matters determined by the court.” Bluewaters is Griffin’s biggest customer and is responsible for more than 15 per cent of Western Australia’s energy supply. It is the State’s only privately owned coal-fired power station, being owned by Japanese company Kansai Elecrtic and global trading company Sumitomo Corporation. Griffin is one of the Collie region’s biggest employers, with more than 200 jobs based at its Ewington coal mine, 8.7km outside Collie. The case is listed to be heard by the Supreme Court on August 28.