The Shadow Minister for Energy Dr Steve Thomas says that today’s confirmation that Premier Coal will shut down its night shift, resulting in an expected 150 more job losses, is just one more step in the inexorable decline of the Collie coal industry as the WA State Government seeks to close it down entirely.
The new job losses follow the loss of around 100 jobs back in April this year.
“Once again I find myself expressing my sympathy and support for the next round of coal miners in Collie that will find themselves unemployed thanks to the Government’s policy, and for their families who rely on them” Dr Thomas said.
“The impact on the Collie community and the wider South-West will be massive.
“This new body blow for Collie comes at a time when the community is watching the Government’s Collie “Just Transition” plan failing and floundering to deliver alternative employment.
“Given that the Labor Government is shutting down all its coal power generation, none of the job losses to date, or those inevitably yet to come, should come as a surprise to anyone, especially the Government itself.
“There are significant stockpiles of coal at the moment, and with the Muja 7 and 8 coal generation units closed for maintenance in July, August and September the demand for coal has been modest.
Dr Thomas also pointed to the paradox of ongoing job losses at Premier Coal at the same time Griffin Coal is receiving Government handouts to subsidise its losses.
“Western Australians will be shocked to learn that at the same time Premier Coal is putting off workers because they have an oversupply of coal, the State Government is still giving taxpayers money to the State’s other coal miner Griffin to keep mining coal” Dr Thomas said.
“The Government is subsidising the operating losses of Griffin to the tune of something like $30 million a year for the next five years to cover costs when Premier has coal sitting on top the ground ready to use and is laying workers off.”
