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Holding his sixth child, Annie, in his arms, Mark Bryant is acutely aware of what being out of work means for him and his family. The operator at the Tahmoor coal mine, south of Sydney, is one of 250 contractors who have been told they will no longer be receiving a pay cheque. "It's going to get very difficult for families, especially depending on their situations if they haven't been able to put extra money away," he said. "Me personally, I can absorb it for a couple of weeks, beyond that I'm not too sure. That's only because during the situation I've realised that this could have happened at any time. Labour hire workers on Friday received an email from mining contractor RStar explaining the decision to stand down workers without pay. "Over the past 36 weeks, RStar has explored every possible avenue to avoid taking this step. Unfortunately, we can no longer continue operating under the current condition," the email read. Tahmoor Colliery has been closed for the past nine months since the mine ran out of critical materials after it failed to pay its suppliers. The mine is owned by a subsidiary of GFG Alliance, the company owned by billionaire metals magnate Sanjeev Gupta. The consortium, which includes the Whyalla Steelworks, has faced a financial reckoning since the collapse of its largest lender, Greensill Capital. Workers meet Mr Bryant and his colleagues gathered at a local inn to hear directly from RStar management about their futures. He described the meeting as serious but constructive, with workers able to ask questions and seek clarity about their situation. "RStar is continuing to work with the mine and its business operations, and they've committed to doing so," he said. "They're very supportive and available to any of the workers who have questions. We just need to work together to get this resolved and get back underground." Upbeat about future Mr Bryant was confident the mine would reopen. The Mining and Energy Union has called on Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos to revoke Mr Gupta's lease on the mine, saying he was not a fit and proper person under state law. "I'm calling on the state government to intervene and, under whatever powers they can apply, take the lease off Sanjeev Gupta, force him into administration, do something," the union's Bob Timms said. GFG Alliance said it was finalising funding arrangements to restart the mine and remained committed to resolving payment delays. Deep concern Ms Houssos said she was monitoring the situation at Tahmoor Colliery and had taken steps to protect taxpayers and workers, but had not responded to calls to revoke GFG Alliance's mining lease. "I am deeply concerned about the ongoing uncertainty at GFG's Tahmoor Colliery and the impact it is having on workers, their families and the local community," she said in a statement. She said she would meet with the Mining and Energy Union again next week on the issue. "I share the frustration many are feeling," she said. "The lack of progress is unacceptable and there is urgent need for clarity about the future of the mine." Ms Houssos said she made an order last month under the Mining Act placing a charge on the Tahmoor mining lease to secure the royalty liability owed. "Placing the charge on the mining lease is an important action to protect the interests of NSW taxpayers and the mine's workers, as it safeguards the asset and provides a clearer path to the mine's reopening," she said. "It is in everyone's best interests for GFG to resolve its financial issues, end the uncertainty, and either recommence operations or facilitate a sale of the mine to a capable operator."
