Solid Energy should come to the table and work out a deal miners can accept rather than cynically attempting to play them off against each other and their union, says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.

Solid Energy's claims that the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union is "irresponsible" shows the company has failed to recognise its workers' issues says the union.

Solid Energy is calling on the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union to put an immediate stop to industrial action at Solid Energy mines and to let people go back to work so that all sides can resume negotiations for a new Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA).

Workers at Solid Energy's Spring Creek mine have joined workers at the SOE's other three big mines in strike action and picketing today, bringing the total number of workers locked out or on strike to nearly one thousand, says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.