Donaldson Coal spokesman Chris Ford told International Longwall News that work resumed this Monday after the two-week Christmas break and there has been no interruption to scheduled production.
He said since the receivership of Cooks, which happened in October, Donaldson has been working with the administrator Deloitte and the unions to maintain the continuity of production and employment.
“The talks are continuing with the union in relation to what is going to happen next – the proposal from the Donaldson side is that all the production people employed by Cooks will be transferred to Donaldson and become Donaldson employees, and Donaldson will become the mine operator,” Ford said.
He added the maintenance staff will remain but under the employment of Max Hire, while two of the seven administration staff will lose their jobs because of overlap, as he used the example that Donaldson already has its own safety officer.
Both Ford and Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union spokesman Greg Sharp confirmed to ILN that negotiations were going well and both groups were ironing out the details whereby all workers will be re-employed under a collective agreement on the same terms and conditions as previously under Cooks.
“Donaldson have been good. There was some angst among our employees – there always is when their current employer is placed in receivership,” Sharp said.
“From the point of view of the average worker it is just going to be a seamless changeover – there’s going to be a different employer for maintenance, but the same terms and conditions. Basically it’s all good.”
Sharp added the Donaldson takeover as operator would probably be a few weeks away and in the meantime the mine will be run by Deloitte through Cooks.
While both Ford and Sharp acknowledge the process has taken some time, Sharp also mentioned he had been hesitant to talk to the media following a recent report from the Herald Newcastle newspaper creatively titled “D-Day for Donaldson mine jobs”.
ILN did not receive confirmation from Deloitte prior to publication, but understands a recent Queensland court case decision against Cooks may have played a role in its receivership.
