Industrial dispute escalates in Australia

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Workers at Rio Tinto's subsidiary Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) in Newcastle, Australia, have announced a new work stoppage scheduled for Friday following a four-hour pause a week ago, with further action endorsed by over 200 union members in an ongoing industrial dispute over pay and conditions.

Talks between union members and PWCS for a new enterprise agreement have seen more than eight months of negotiations.

Glen Williams, Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Newcastle branch secretary, said the protests were a result of PWCS using anti-union tactics and not valuing its employees.

"The workers across all five unions continue to be solidly united behind the simple principle that we are as much a part of the success of the company as management is, a fact the company needs to recognize and change its anti-union posture," Williams said.

Responsible for one of the world's largest coal handling operations, PWCS operates two of Newcastle's three coal loaders, and is managed by Rio Tinto -- a 30 percent shareholder through its subsidiary Coal Allied.

The PWCS Carrington and Kooragang terminals receive, assemble and load Hunter Valley coal for export to customers around the world, and normally operate continuously 24 hours a day.

The new work suspension is set to take place from 6.30 a.m. to 14.30 p.m. Friday.

Ian Bray, MUA national secretary, said the union hopes that an agreement can still be reached.

"We continue to keep the door wide open for a fair agreement. But, we are also going forward with a steady campaign of legally protected action as well as a broader strategy to bring justice to our members," Bray said.