Saturday, 28 Jan 2012
The latest round of negotiations at Lanco's Griffin coal mine have failed. A settlement is yet to be reached in the battle between unions and the company over pay and working hours.
According to the Collie Mail, unions previously believed they had come to an agreement with Lanco over the proposed shift changes. However the company is still pushing for an increase in shift times and hotseat changeovers on site, with the aim to enhance production fourfold.
CFMEU secretary Mr Gary Wood stated that Lanco will not be able to support its motion. He said that "There is no way in the world they can get this up. They won’t be able to get it up before arbitration. We have provided documents showing it (the longer shift time) is inappropriate from a fatigue point of view.”
He added that "It is also is inappropriate from a community point of view. There are only 24 hours in a day and the workers need to travel, prepare for work and recover."
Mr Wood stated that while the most recent round of negotiations had failed, talks are progressing. He said that "We had only half a day with Griffin on Monday and are getting close. But nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."
The major sticking point remains the increased shift hours.
Mr Wood further said that "There is no firm position one way of the other, but we are reasonably confident that common sense on the safety issues will prevail.”
(sourced MiningAustralia.com.au)
Showing posts with label price negotiation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label price negotiation. Show all posts
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Xstrata kicks off FY 2011 thermal coal contract talks in Japan
28Mar2011/1103 am EDT/1503 GMT
Mannila (Platts)-- Major Australian coal producer Xstrata has kicked off 2011 fiscal year thermal coal contract negotiations with power utilities in the west of Japan, excluding Tohoku Electric whose major plants in the east are unoperational following the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, sources said Monday.
In talks held last week, Xstrata was said to have held separate meetings with representatives of Chugoku Electric, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric and Kyushu Electric, one Japan-based source said.
Meetings have yet to be held with Hokuriku Electric and Shikoku Electric, both of which are situated in the western part of Japan, the source said. Xstrata also held off talks with Tohoku Electric and Tokyo Electric (Tepco).
No prices were tabled by either Xstrata or the Japanese power utilities during the separate talks, sources said, although Xstrata representatives may return in the next week or 10 days to resume negotiations.
"There were no prices talked about during the meetings last week. Both sides stated their market analysis. I believe there were no numbers discussed, because both sides felt there would be a big discrepancy in the price expectations," the Japanese source said.
In the absence of Tohoku as a so-called champion negotiator for the Japanese power utilities, it is believed that Chugoku will lead the FY2011 talks for the Japanese side, the source said.
'TOKYO STILL HAVING ROLLING BLACKOUTS'
Industry sources said coal prices had not skyrocketed as previously expected following the massive Japanese temblor, as the loss of coal-fired power capacity in Japan had been huge.
"Clearly, there is a shortage. This is a power crisis. That is why Tokyo is still experiencing rolling power outages," the Japanese source said.
"Tohoku is one of the biggest coal buyers in Japan. Its Haramachi coal-fired power station alone consumes up to 5 million mt of coal annually.
The market for Australian coal in Japan has shrunk. Japan is currently not a major destination for Australian coal," the Japanese source said. A coal trader estimated Japan's fiscal 2011 coal imports would decline by 12-17 million mt.
"There has been no advice when the damaged Japanese coal-fired power stations will resume operations. From my point of view, it will take about a year or longer before these damaged power plants return to operation," the Japanese source said.
"Australian shippers have to find other markets for their coal. I don't see coal prices riding high this year because of the tragedy that struck Japan." He added, however, that certain power companies would run their coal-fired power stations at higher capacities this spring -- a season when coal stations are usually idled or stopped for maintenance -- to provide support in the current electricity crisis.
"But the JPUs will not only be increasing their coal-fired power capacities. The JPUs will also operate their other power stations running on oil and LNG at higher capacities," he commented.(sourced:The Platts)
Tags :Kyushu Electric, Hokuriku Electric, Shikoku Electric, Tokyo, raw material,
Mannila (Platts)-- Major Australian coal producer Xstrata has kicked off 2011 fiscal year thermal coal contract negotiations with power utilities in the west of Japan, excluding Tohoku Electric whose major plants in the east are unoperational following the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, sources said Monday.
In talks held last week, Xstrata was said to have held separate meetings with representatives of Chugoku Electric, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric and Kyushu Electric, one Japan-based source said.
Meetings have yet to be held with Hokuriku Electric and Shikoku Electric, both of which are situated in the western part of Japan, the source said. Xstrata also held off talks with Tohoku Electric and Tokyo Electric (Tepco).
No prices were tabled by either Xstrata or the Japanese power utilities during the separate talks, sources said, although Xstrata representatives may return in the next week or 10 days to resume negotiations.
"There were no prices talked about during the meetings last week. Both sides stated their market analysis. I believe there were no numbers discussed, because both sides felt there would be a big discrepancy in the price expectations," the Japanese source said.
In the absence of Tohoku as a so-called champion negotiator for the Japanese power utilities, it is believed that Chugoku will lead the FY2011 talks for the Japanese side, the source said.
'TOKYO STILL HAVING ROLLING BLACKOUTS'
Industry sources said coal prices had not skyrocketed as previously expected following the massive Japanese temblor, as the loss of coal-fired power capacity in Japan had been huge.
"Clearly, there is a shortage. This is a power crisis. That is why Tokyo is still experiencing rolling power outages," the Japanese source said.
"Tohoku is one of the biggest coal buyers in Japan. Its Haramachi coal-fired power station alone consumes up to 5 million mt of coal annually.
The market for Australian coal in Japan has shrunk. Japan is currently not a major destination for Australian coal," the Japanese source said. A coal trader estimated Japan's fiscal 2011 coal imports would decline by 12-17 million mt.
"There has been no advice when the damaged Japanese coal-fired power stations will resume operations. From my point of view, it will take about a year or longer before these damaged power plants return to operation," the Japanese source said.
"Australian shippers have to find other markets for their coal. I don't see coal prices riding high this year because of the tragedy that struck Japan." He added, however, that certain power companies would run their coal-fired power stations at higher capacities this spring -- a season when coal stations are usually idled or stopped for maintenance -- to provide support in the current electricity crisis.
"But the JPUs will not only be increasing their coal-fired power capacities. The JPUs will also operate their other power stations running on oil and LNG at higher capacities," he commented.(sourced:The Platts)
Tags :Kyushu Electric, Hokuriku Electric, Shikoku Electric, Tokyo, raw material,
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