The mining union said that it hopes central Queensland mine workers will be able to keep their jobs even if a contracting company fails to recover from financial troubles.

It may be noted that about 175 people are expected to lose their jobs after HMP Contractors entered voluntary administration. It employs 500 workers at three central Queensland mines.

Mr Jim Valery from the CFMEU said that if HMP Contractors is not able to trade out of its debts, the union wants the mine operators to help workers get jobs with any new contractor that takes over. He added that "The mine operators we believe have got a moral obligation to look after the work force who works at their mine site. We would then hope that those people could be placed through other operators who would then have to come in to take over the contract."

Mr Valery said that the union is hopeful of achieving the best possible outcome for the workers of HMP Constructions. He added that "We went there fully aware that the administrators wouldn't have their head around the whole operation. We are comfortable that we've got a channel now for information to play backwards and forwards. We're quite comfortable the administrators and ourselves will be able to work through and hopefully make the best of a bad situation."

(Sourced from www.abc.net.au)