The world’s leading thermal coal trader Glencore on Monday said it would lay off contractors at its Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) in Australia’s New South Wales state because of the prolonged downturn in the international coal market. HVO is a 51/49 joint venture between Yancoal and Glencore which also manages the mine’s communications.
Glencore said HVO had launched discussions with the mine’s workforce regarding operation adjustments that will be made from January 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and energy demand. The company noted that the changes would not impact permanent jobs at HVO. It added that contractors would depart HVO in December but did not disclose how many contractors would be made redundant.
In August, Glencore said it was initiating measures to manage its coal operations in Australia, including by shutting down site and equipment temporarily.
