Pacific National (PN), one of the largest rail freight companies in Australia, has been keeping over 800 employees in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, on lockout since 23 November. The lockout may cause major disruptions in Australia, considering that PN is highly involved in bulk freight, especially coal and grain. A lockout is different from a strike in that it is put in place by the employer, who denies workers access to their workplace, rather than the employees refusing to work.