Coal miners at the company’s Huntly East, Spring Creek, Terrace and New Vale mines have all walked off the job demanding HWE Mining ends the lockout and comes to a settlement, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union said today.

The union has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with Solid Energy over a new multi-employer collective agreement, pushing for higher wages.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said HWE Mining’s decision to lock out its workers after they began strike action was “an unreasonable reaction to what was relatively minor industrial action”

“Now these guys can’t get back to work and earn their wages until the company lets them,” Little said.

“HWE should withdraw its lockout immediately and come back to the table so we can work out a deal, as we already have with Solid Energy and other contractors.”

HWE Mining is owned by Australian mining giant Leighton Contractors.

Miners at Solid Energy's Stockton mine are continuing with an overtime ban against mining contractor Doug Hood, which is also refusing to settle.