Mining and Energy Union (MEU) workers at US producer Peabody Energy's Metropolitan mine in New South Wales are striking over an ongoing pay dispute, halting production until 5pm AEST (7am GMT) on 10 July.

MEU launched a five-hour stoppage at 5pm on 9 July, before extending it to 12 hours. The unionised workers launched another 12-hour strike early on 10 July, the union told Argus on the same day.

Peabody locked miners out of the mixed thermal, hard coking, and pulverised coal injection (PCI) mine from 18 June until 5:30pm on 9 July, without pay, over an increasingly acrimonious employment negotiation.

MEU and Peabody negotiators are at odds over the use of contractors at Metropolitan, among other issues. They met for Fair Work Commission-led mediation during the lock-out on 8 July.

Metropolitan Coal remains fully committed to ongoing good faith negotiations with the union, a Peabody spokesperson told Argus on 10 July.

The MEU's latest strike comes a day after unionised workers at global producer Glencore's 20mn t/yr Ulan thermal coal mine launched a day-long strike, targeting some underground operations at the complex. The Ulan strike is set to end on 10 July.

By Avinash Govind