Mining activities on seven Queensland
coal mine sites owned and operated by BHP Billiton came to a halt on Wednesday
as workers went on strike.
According
to workers union representatives, “were fighting for better working conditions,
higher pays, housing and health benefits, negotiations of which to secure them
have dragged for more than a year”.
Analysts warned that the
production issues encountered by BHP during the Queensland floods in early 2011
may again affect its output goal for the current fiscal year if the industrial
disputes will not be resolved early.
In a statement, BHP did not touch
on the impact of the strikes to its overall coal production in Queensland but
the company reiterated its intent to settle the labour issues at hand.
“We're disappointed with any
decision to stop work, but we remain committed to resuming negotiations in good
faith. We just really want to get back to the negotiating table,” the
company stressed.
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