Mt Isa dispute nears flashpoint
By Bill Mason
BRISBANE — The long-running industrial confrontation between workers at the giant Mt Isa Mines lead, copper and zinc mine and the MIM company seems set to escalate further as workers established a picket line at the Mica Creek power station, which supplies electricity to the mine, over weekend of May 6-7.
A 24-hour strike at the power station on May 5 was extended into the weekend after rumours spread of the possible sacking of a young worker, following an argument with a foreman.
Allegations that the worker threatened to burn down the foreman's house follow weeks of investigations by police of supposed threatening phone calls to non-union staff members at the mine.
MIM general manager Phil Wright said on May 5 that the allegations against the young worker were a "serious issue that was investigated and found to be substantiated. Appropriate action will be taken; the person will be dismissed."
Clerks Union north Queensland secretary James O'Donnell said, "If they sack the kid, they'll really have it on their hands".
One report of the argument is that a 20-year-old metalworker had joked to a foreman that he should check his house insurance, and that the worker had later said he meant further strikes could leave the foreman unable to pay his mortgage.
Unions have applied rolling stoppages and overtime bans, first after the State Industrial Commission ordered the number of unions at MIM cut from five to two and then after the company refused to increase its money offer in an enterprise agreement.
The latest phase opened after a huge meeting of workers on February 22 rejected the company offer and embarked on a series of strikes and overtime bans.
The company has lost tens of millions of dollars of production during the protracted dispute.