THE Federal Opposition has thrown its support behind locked-out workers from the P&H MinePro site near Singleton.

Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon visited the picket at the Mt Thorley site on Wednesday and told the workers and their families he would apply political pressure to mobile support for them.

"Locking out workers from their place of employment is totally unacceptable and I am here today to give you my support," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

The P&H MinePro workers have been locked out of their Mt Thorley site since November 13 after refusing to accept a new enterprise agreement put forward by the company.

On Tuesday, representatives of the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union (AMWU) again met with company representatives hoping to re-open negotiations.

The company again presented the same document already rejected by the employees in July.

AMWU Newcastle branch organiser Steve Murphy said the stumbling block of the negotiations had been the right of the workers to negotiate a collective agreement.

The company is insisting on individual work place agreements for individual workers.

Mr Fitzgibbon said this type of tactic was aimed at dividing and conquering the workforce giving workers little choice in terms of their rights and conditions.

He brought with him messages of support from newly elected Labor leader Mark Latham.

"I discussed this situation with Mr Latham yesterday and he gives you his complete support," he said.

As of yesterday, the company had maintained its silence and had not responded to a request by Mr Fitzgibbon to allow him to hear the company's side.

Ramona Cocco, wife of Salvatroe Cocco who has been employed with P&H MinePro for the past seven years, said the industrial situation her family was now in was the worst she had experienced.

"We are the lucky ones because I have a part time job but some of these families are really struggling, they have no money to pay bills and meet financial obligations without even thinking about Christmas," Mrs Cocco said.

She said the stress was starting to show.

"I have a lot of the wives ringing me and I try to give them support.

"They are upset and stressed, they can't relax and every time the phone rings you think something else has happened.

"Even when you disagree with someone, at least when there is communication there is hope for a resolution but when you can't even have the conversation it makes it very difficult to find a resolution," Mrs Cocco said.

Mr Murphy added that support had been forthcoming from throughout Australia including unions he had not even heard of.