Man Dies at Hunter Valley Coal Mine

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A contractor has tragically died at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

Police have confirmed the 39-year-old who was employed as a dump truck driver at the Glendell Coal Mine in Ravensworth, was found in his truck shortly after 1pm yesterday.

He died of a massive heart attack while behind the wheel of the "wobbly" articulated truck.

The coal mine's emergency response team rushed to the man's aid and attempted to resusitate him for some time until an ambulance from Singleton arrived.

Paramedics spent 10 minutes on the 39-year-old but he couldn't be resusitated.

CFMEU District President Peter Jordan said the man was undertaking top soil work in an isolated part of the mine which is being rehabilitated.

The company he was contracted by was a small Singleton company caleed NJR Excavations.

Hunter School Cleaners Fear For Their Jobs

BY ANNABEL ROBINSON

School cleaners are now in fear of losing their jobs.

The NSW Government is suggesting they will have to reapply for their jobs at the end of every contract as of next year. This will result in their accrued sick leave, recreational leave and long service leave becoming obsolete.

Cleaners current employment guarantees and conditions have been in place since 1994 and many cleaners fear that finding another job will be difficult as new contractors may not want to employ older people.

State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery, will move a Notice of Motion today calling the NSW Government to provide cleaners with better job security.

School cleaners are valued in the community as they have provided us with their service for decades keeping our school environments clean and safe.

"There will be an increasing loss of jobs because the providers will employ less people and expect others to work longer and as a result our schools won't be clean," Sonia said.

Sonia says the only thing fueling the Government's actions is to save money on wages and this is truly unfair and she will be urging the Premier to take steps in protecting our cleaners jobs and conditions.