Assignment task: In the case study, who are the three key stakeholders in the field of employment relations, and what are their main claims?
Mining and Energy Union workers to take strike action at Kogan Creek power station Looming industrial action at one of Queensland's major power stations could "make life harder" heading into summer, with unions warning of potential blackouts. Key points:
. Workers will on Thursday take industrial action at the Kogan Creek power station
. Unions warn protracted industrial action could threaten energy supplies ahead of summer
. CS Energy says its offered workers an agreement with generous terms and conditions
Workers at the Kogan Creek power station, near Chinchilla about 290 kilometres west of Brisbane, this week voted to take industrial action over stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations with CS Energy.
The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) said it had failed to make any headway with the company and had exhausted avenues. Industrial action to start on Thursday includes limiting the number of conveyor belts transporting coal from the nearby Kogan Creek coal mine to the power station. MEU district vice president Shane Brunker said unless the issues were resolved soon, it could affect the power network heading into summer and possibly lead to blackouts.
"The power station will slowly just grind down - [Kogan Creek] being the largest single unit in Queensland it will severely affect the energy security"; he said.
He said the power station, which employed 120 workers at the site and a further 80 at the coal mine, generated about 10 per cent of Queensland's power, with some going to northern New South Wales.
The union said it had wanted conditions such as payout of personal leave, removal caps on redundancy payments and better transparency on the use of contractors to be included in a new pay deal. It also wanted the terms of an energy workers' charter to be included in the new enterprise bargaining agreement.
'Generous offers'
CS Energy said it had been negotiating in good faith to establish a new enterprise agreement for the power station. "CS Energy has made an offer that will provide employees with generous terms and conditions"; a spokesperson said. The company said it had plans in place to ensure the power station would continue to generate electricity and to minimize the impact of the proposed industrial action.