It's been an anxious long weekend for hundreds of Ballarat Gold Mine workers waiting for an update from the business' newly appointed administrator.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Accounting firm Hall Chadwick stepped in as external administrator to mine owner Balmaine Gold Pty Ltd last Thursday, leaving about 200 workers in limbo and worrying about their next pay.
It's understood some workers' pay came through on Friday night - a day later than usual after administrators temporarily froze the business' accounts.
But some workers reportedly only received half the amount they were expecting - with no explanation as to why, or when the rest would come.
A source who wanted to remain anonymous told The Courier workers were stressing about paying their bills and "frustrated" with the lack of clarity around their job security.
They said Australian Workers' Union representatives had assured workers they'd be "looked after" in the event of redundancies, but that those in control of the business had been "very, very quiet" as to the way forward.
"They're still going to work and things are running smoothly, but it's like crickets - there's been no word at all about what's going to happen," the source said late Tuesday morning.
It's understood Hall Chadwick met with AWU representatives on Tuesday to provide an update.
Voluntary Administrators Hall Chadwick issued a statement on Tuesday that it would work to ensure operations continued on a 'business as usual' basis, including continuing employment for all workers of the company.
It said it had processed the pay of employees to ensure ongoing mining operations were not interrupted.
Hall Chadwick said it was also working alongside "secured creditors, state government regulatory bodies, key suppliers and contractors to ensure trading operations can continue throughout the Administration period."