Coal miners employed by the BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi alliance made good their threat to strike on Thursday as over 3,000 started their week-long industrial action.

The job walk-off started 6 a.m. and stopped production at six BMA mines in Bowen Basin, Queensland as part of the coal unions' 18-month row with BMA over working conditions.

Talks between BMA and representatives of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union resumed on Wednesday, but it failed to placate the coal miners who are seeking a third break during night shifts. The CFMEU initially rejected a 15 per cent pay hike offer from BMA on the ground that it is not after higher wages but better working conditions, particularly the safety of workers.

Frustrated by the insistence of the coal miners to go ahead with their large-scale strike which has caused BMA millions of dollars in losses, a BHP spokeswoman called their industrial action unnecessary and said it is harmful to all parties involved.

However, she said BMA will continue in good faith to make itself available for further discussions on the bargaining table.

In April, BMA declared a force majeure and informed customers that it could not meet its supply contracts because of the flood and strikes that had hit its mines.

"The current BMA enterprise agreement negotiation is at an impasse over exactly this type of issue where unions want to ignore current market and employment trends and instead preserve a status quo position for their own industrial ends," News.com.au quoted BMA Asset President Stephen Dumble.

"The issue in question is too important to be caught up in this way. It is a real issue which demands a real solution," he added.

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