Mineworkers fear 'reprisals' for raising safety concerns amid spike in deaths

Union worries about 'reporting culture' at Queensland mines, where most workers are now employed as casuals

Contract and casual mineworkers in Queensland are fearful of "retribution" if they complain about questionable safety practices, their union says, as the sector grapples with a sixth workplace death in the past year.

The recent cluster of accidents and deaths, the worst on record in Queensland for 22 years, has prompted the state government to commission two independent reviews into mine safety.