A spokesperson for BHP Billiton confirmed to ILN that the longwall move had been completed but would not put a precise figure on how many jobs were affected but it was understood to be in the vicinity of 200.

“The BMA Broadmeadow mine has recently finalised a significant piece of work in the completion of a longwall move,” the spokesperson told ILN.

“We had contracts for the completion of this work and it has now been finalised.”

Delta SBD is currently contracted to undertake three longwall moves at BMA’s Broadmeadow mine, according to the company’s website.

Delta SBD did not answer ILN’ questions by publication time.

Broadmeadow falls under a different workplace agreement to the other six mines in the BMA stable, which are negotiating site-specific details of their enterprise agreements following the intervention of former union heavyweight Bill Kelty earlier this month.

Last month, Fair Work Australia confirmed the BMA had negotiated in good faith in relation to an EA for professional employees at Broadmeadow.

The decision helped break an impasse with the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia over Broadmeadow’s first EA for staff at the mine.

The $450 million Broadmeadow life extension project, which will increase productive capacity by 400,000 tonnes per annum and extends life of the mine by 21 years, is on schedule and on budget and is 74% complete, according to the BHP Billiton exploration and development report for the June quarter.

First production from the extension project is slated for 2013.