CFMEU: Mining giant drives postmaster out of town

Dec 3, 2014

Andrew Vickers, Chair of IndustriALL’s mining sector and General Secretary of the Australian mining union CFMEU, won’t be sending presents to his grandkids in Queensland, Australia, this Christmas.

The reason? Ever since mining giant Anglo American shut down the post office in the small northeastern mining town of Middlemount, residents now have to drive over 60 kms to pick up their mail.

The mining multinational terminated the post office lease in retaliation over a poster calling attention to the housing crisis which is undermining the social fabric of the small community, with family homes now standing empty while the company packs workers into temporary singles’ accommodation.

Driving Middlemount’s postmaster out of town was just one of many examples of the bullying and callous behaviour of Anglo American around the world highlighted at the global trade union network meeting held in Sao Paolo on 19 November.

Participants concluded that while seeking to portray itself as the face of responsible mining, Anglo American is destroying communities, violating fundamental human rights, denying workers the right to organize and bargain collectively, undermining labour rights by relying on contract labour, and subjecting workers to serious safety and health hazards, including silicosis.

The meeting agreed on a plan of action, including launching an effective trade union network, mapping the company’s operations worldwide, drawing attention to the abuses committed by Anglo American, surveying affiliates on health and safety issues, committing to take action on issues of concern to communities and insisting that any global framework agreement address the key issues of human and trade union rights and contract labour. Igor Diaz of Sitracarbon in Colombia was proposed as the network coordinator.