It won’t be a Merry Christmas for hundreds of AGL employees, including many in the Hunter, after being told their jobs were on the chopping block.
Workers at Bayswater and Loy Yang A power stations received information of a company restructure this week, which would impact positions at both sites.
Following several meetings, Mining and Energy Union (MEU) representatives believe that at least 300 roles are on the line, including those in management and operations.
With Bayswater, located between Singleton and Muswellbrook, and Loy Yang A, in south-eastern Victoria, slated for closure within the decade, the MEU has warned government intervention might be required to prevent AGL from cutting jobs early to avoid transition support obligations.
Under plans put forward by the energy giant, expressions of interest (EOI) for voluntary redundancies would be sought, with forced redundancies an option if targets aren’t met.
Job cuts could begin in from the first week of December.
“AGL’s restructure is a kick in the guts for power station workers in the lead up to Christmas,” MEU general secretary Grahame Kelly said.
“Coal-fired plant employees are already facing stress and uncertainty with moving timelines for closures.
“News that hundreds of positions will now be lost as soon as this December is a further blow.
“With a framework for worker transition support now in place through the federal government’s Net Zero Economy Authority, we are very concerned about energy companies fast-tracking job cuts to avoid potential retraining and redeployment obligations in the future.
“We are calling on AGL to do the right thing by its loyal workforce who have powered our country for decades.
“And, we will be exploring all avenues to ensure power station workers in the Latrobe Valley and Hunter Valley get all the support they deserve as these facilities head towards closure.”
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