Yancoal's Premier coal mine workers vote for strike action in pay dispute

Workers at Yancoal Australia's Premier coal mine in Western Australia have voted in favour of strike action, escalating a dispute over wages and conditions. The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) announced on Wednesday that more than 90% of its members supported every proposed action, including stoppages exceeding 12 hours. A specific strike date has not yet been set.

The action also has strong backing from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, with 93% of its members voting in favour. The unions argue that the current enterprise agreement contains six possible roster arrangements, some of which could adversely affect redundancy calculations if implemented.

The Premier mine supplies coal to power generators in Western Australia and is slated for closure around the end of the decade, aligning with the state's plan to phase out government-owned coal-fired power generation by 2030.

Yancoal Australia, whose majority shareholder is Chinese state-backed miner Yankuang Energy, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The vote comes amid a broader uptick in industrial action across Australia's mining sector, driven by inflation and recent changes to workplace laws under the Labor government.