500 coal miners laid off by Integra near Singleton in NSW Hunter Valley, company blames poor coal prices (ABC)

View Comments ABC 500 Hunter Valley coal miners laid off

500 mine workers at Integra coal mines in the New South Wales Hunter Valley have lost their jobs.

Employees at Glennies Creek underground and Camberwell open cut mines near Singleton were told operations will be shut down, also facilities will be maintained.

Integra, which is part of Brazilian mining giant Vale, has blamed poor coal prices for its decision.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union's Peter Jordan says the news is a huge shock and will have a big economic impact.

"We're talking all up about 500 jobs there so that's going to have a massive impact on the Singleton and surrounding towns where most of those workers and their families live," he said.

Vale had been planning to start a new long wall operation at the Glennies Creek mine, but that is now uncertain.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/23573091/500-coal-miners-laid-off-by-integra-near-singleton-in-nsw-hunter-valley-company-blames-poor-coal-prices/