Premier Coal cuts 150 jobs as Collie mine shifts to day shifts only
Premier Coal is ending night shifts at its Collie mine in Western Australia, cutting about 150 jobs.
The coal company told staff today and began canvassing for voluntary redundancies. Night shifts will end in coming months, with a three-week summer shutdown planned.
The Collie mine sits 200 kilometres south of Perth. Unions said the decision amounts to axing 40 percent of the workforce.
The move comes as owner Yancoal navigates tense wage negotiations with highly unionised workers ahead of WA's planned coal-fired power shutdown by 2030. The workforce has taken several strike hours since July, including refusing to load coal.
Energy analyst Tim Buckley said the shift will not cause rolling blackouts: coal generated 24 percent of WA electricity in the past 12 months while renewables contributed about 40 percent. The government said it is seeking more information and remains confident power supply is safe.
- 150
- Jobs cut
- 40 percent
- Workforce percentage lost
- Collie, 200 km south of Perth
- Mine location
- 24 percent
- Coal's WA electricity share
Why it mattersLarge job cuts in a regional town signal how the transition away from coal is hitting workers and communities now, ahead of the 2030 deadline.
AustraliaWestern Australians in Collie face major job losses in a region where coal jobs are scarce to replace, though the state's power grid should remain stable.
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