You're overlooking health and safety which is still a very legitimate concern. In laissez-faire societies, mine workers die like flies. China (quite ironically

You're overlooking health and safety which is still a very legitimate concern. In laissez-faire societies, mine workers die like flies. China (quite ironically as an apparently worker loving state) takes such an attitude and thousands of coal miners die each year. In Australia, where far more coal is mined, there have been no deaths this year. I wouldn't claim it's just the union influence that makes the difference as there's much more automation here for one thing. But to discount it as a factor is naive.