Premier Bartlett meets AWU miners

Date: 28 September 2009

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes will lead a delegation of Mt Lyell workers to meet with Tasmanian Premier Bartlett about their predicament, having spent a month stood down while their workplace is remediated following a mudslide.

p>In the last few days Mr Howes has also written to the UK parent company of Copper Mines of Tasmania, Vedanta Resources, requesting the multinational put stood down workers back on the payroll until the mine can reopen and written to the nations banks, requesting mortgage relief for affected workers.

Mr Howes has flagged a national campaign to highlight the plight of the Mt Lyell workers.

Tas Gvt must accept this as an extreme, urgent case and act immediately

"Our members at Mt Lyell have a legitimate expectation that the state government do everything within its power to assist these distressed workers and their families."

"The Tasmanian Government has received significant revenues from royalties from this mine for a long time and accordingly the state government can afford to do the right thing and provide comprehensive emergency relief as a matter of extreme urgency."

Press conference today following meeting with Premier Bartlett

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes and Mt Lyell mine workers will be available for media comment.

• 11-30am Forecourt area

• Tasmanian State Parliament House, Hobart.

Read earlier AWU statements

• Campaign geared up to save Tasmanian Mining community of Queenstown

• AWU calls for urgent disaster relief for Mt Lyell mine workers

How the media is reporting the Mt Lyell crisis

• Meeting will look at future for miners (Launceston Examiner)
  

• Union seeks urgent help for miners (ABC)

• Workers desperate as mine closure drags on (ABC)

• Cash crisis hits mining town ( Hobart Mercury)

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	AWU
Contact Mobile:	0417 054 194
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed
by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW
[Credits] [Site Matters]