“A review is being conducted and we expect implementation of the review to be completed by the end of March,” Anglo Coal spokesman Aldo Pennini told International Longwall News.
He added the review covers the whole of the company’s operations, including head office, and he expects an announcement will be made in two or three weeks time.
While Pennini did not want to provide further details until the review was complete, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union's NSW branch vice president for northern districts, Peter Jordan, said the union had been assured by the company that none of its members had been offered voluntary redundancies.
However, Jordan did confirm to ILN that voluntary redundancies were offered to white-collar workers at the mine, while operators and maintenance staff were safe at the moment.
“They still have to make their production and of course they need our guys to do that,” he said.
“If [Anglo] can trim the costs of production by reducing some people up in the office – in management roles – then I guess that is what they are trying to do at this first stage.”
In 2006 the Drayton mine had Run of Mine production of 5.5 million tonnes and 5.4Mt of saleable coal. It employs about 300 workers.
Earlier this month Anglo chopped 42 permanent staff and an unknown amount of contractors after closing the north pit of its Dawson open cut and highwall operation near Moura in Queensland.
