¶ MINING and Energy Union (MEU) WA district secretary Greg Busson says a retention package developed for Griffin Coal employees is a key step towards planning for the miner’s future beyond 2026.
A $30,000 retention bonus, paid time Just Transition training and a commitment to grow permanent employment are key aspects of the package, presented to Griffin employees at an information session last week.
The State Government has agreed to fund the package, developed in conjunction with Deloitte, Griffin’s receiver and manager, the MEU and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union.
The package is worth in excess of $10 million, with the funding to be drawn separately from the government’s $220 million bailout package, unveiled in December 2023.
Mr Busson told the Bulletin further details about Griffin’s future, beyond the bailout’s June 2026 cut-off, can be expected in the 2025 second half.
“There is a future for Griffin,” Mr Busson said.
“We’re very confident it will go beyond 2026.”
Mr Busson hailed a commitment to increase permanent employment to an aspirational target of 75 percent as a key component of the agreement.
“People need certainty going forward,” he said.
“Financial and training incentives are one thing, but permanent jobs are a bigger priority.”
The retention bonus will be applied as a series of payments over the next 18 months, with a larger instalment on June 30, 2026, Deloitte partner Sean Holmes told the Bulletin.
Paid time training will allow for the development of individual employee transition plans, paving the way for training in courses catering for specific needs, Mr Holmes added.
“In real terms, the package is about maintaining and supporting the workforce through to 2026 and beyond,” Mr Holmes said.
“We’re working through a plan with the government, customers and all critical stakeholders to map what possible pathways there might be following that date.
“We’re obviously of the view that coal will be required much longer than 2026 and we’re right behind finding solutions for that.”