BMA (BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Associates)’s Goonyella Riverside coal mine is located in Queensland, Australia, and the mine is deploying automated vehicles.
General Manager of Goonyella Riverside Coal Mine
However, Australia's CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union) expressed concern about possible unemployment.
Queensland CFMEU Mining and Energy President Stephen Smyth said that BHP Billiton announced the deployment of 86 automated trucks without notifying workers and conducting trials.
Komatsu 930E
Smyth said: "BHP Billiton can put the interests of workers and local communities at the center of its automation strategy, or just for profit, replace local jobs with automated machines.
"Since there is no consultation or relevant information provided to workers, it seems that they have to pursue profits at the expense of workers.
"In the final analysis, if this industry only produces dust-making traffic behavior, but fails to create good job opportunities and economic benefits for the local area, then it will lose the social license."
James Palmer, president of BMA Asset Management, said that the Goonyella Riverside coal mine's transport trucks will use automation technology, which requires extensive research and contact with workers, communities and governments at all levels.
"Automated transportation will help us improve safety and production performance, and whether this change is successful, employees will play a key role." James Palmer said.
"In 2020, the first automated truck will begin to operate in the mine, and it will take about two years to fully automate. We hope that employees and the community will pay attention to this change as much as possible."
Drag spatula
The BMA stated that Goonyella Riverside's decision to implement automated transportation will not result in strong sanctions.
In fact, Palmer said that the total number of long-term jobs for the entire BMA project will increase with the recent recruitment of long-term positions in BHP Billiton's operations services and new positions created by automation.
He said that BMA's long-term commitment to the region is based on its responsibility to provide training opportunities for local workers to ensure that they can master the skills and capabilities required by the mining industry in the future.
He said: "This statement represents BMA's investment in the Bowen Basin for generations to come."
The automated transportation of Goonyella Riverside will be carried out in stages and will gradually be converted into an automated fleet of 86 Komatsu trucks in the next few years. This project will be based on excellent production records, by increasing truck working hours and achieving more stable cycle times.
Automated transportation reduces risk exposure and major incidents, so it can also improve safety.
This is BMA's first mine to implement automated transportation. Palmer said that in the months before the announcement, BMA had been discussing with employees and local communities to increase the potential for automated mining operations until today.
He said: "We know that automation means a major change, but also provides better opportunities for employees to learn more valuable new skills."
Coal truck
Goonyella Riverside is expected to hold more than 40,000 hours of training during the preparation process for the implementation of automation, ranging from general knowledge to comprehensive training for equipment operations, automated truck interaction, and new jobs.
Other mines in Queensland have not yet decided to deploy automation, and the deployment of other mines will also be implemented one by one.
The first automated truck is expected to start operation in the first half of 2020.
Smyth said the union called on BHP Billiton to promise not to impose sanctions on employees because of automation, and to provide job positions and internship opportunities elsewhere in the project to make up for the job loss.
The union also hopes that the remote operation center can be located in or near an automated mining area, rather than a large city thousands of kilometers away.
Smyth hopes that the Queensland government will require all automation projects to be accompanied by an economic impact report, including the impact on local employment and economic activities.
The union’s suggestion is that if the automation project leads to a reduction in local and regional jobs, then another fee should be used as compensation. The union also hopes to eliminate diesel subsidies for vehicles that are not manually operated.
"We know that mining companies will pursue their best interests whenever they have the opportunity," Smyth said. "So the government needs to come forward and require that these projects must obtain social permits, including understanding how much each community will be affected by automation, and intervening to ensure Residents in Queensland will not suffer as a result."
