A spokeswoman for Anglo American told ICN: "Anglo American’s Capcoal mine has completed a review of the open cut operations in light of the extremely challenging market conditions facing the coal industry.
"The review was announced to employees and employees’ representatives last month and since then Anglo American has undertaken a robust consultation process.
"The outcome of the review will result in the majority of Capcoal employees switching to a five day, 8.5 hour rotating roster, effective from 5 October 2015.
"Under the new roster, approximately 85 operational roles will no longer be required. Anglo American is continuing to work through the details of this outcome with a mix of scaling back contractors, redundancies and voluntary redundancies likely.
"All suggestions made by employees and employees’ representatives made during the consultation process as alternatives to the roster change were considered. Anglo American has agreed to some of the employee representative's requests, however the proposed roster change remained the most viable option after careful consideration of all suggestions.
"Anglo American will continue to work with impacted employees and their representatives as the roster change is implemented in the coming weeks."
Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union district president Steve Smyth said the move by Anglo was “another attack on secure jobs for local workers”
“Localworkers at Capcoal have shown nothing but goodwill towards Anglo American. Through hard work, intensive rostering arrangements and dedication they have met all set production targets,” Smyth said.
“While 85 secure, local roles are set to go, contractors on lower wages and with no job security are being kept on.
“Workers have been told that the issue is overproduction. If that was true the company could have simply have considered and accepted the union’s alternative suggestions to maintain secure jobs by reducing hours, production and labour costs."
Smyth said the decision would hit the nearby Middlemount community hard.
“This is a kick in the guts for the community of Middlemount, which has already been devastated by local job losses," he said.
“This is yet another example of a ruthless multinational company ripping off local workers and their local community.”
