WATCH: Australian Miners Fired for ‘Harlem Shake’ Performance

The owner of the mine said the stunt a safety violation.

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynw5eNBDtNw]

What started out as a bit of fun, has cost up to 15 miners in Australia their jobs.  Their misdemeanor: the ‘Harlem Shake.’

The video, which was posted on YouTube, showed eight workers performing the Harlem Shake underground in the Agnew Gold Mine, located in Western Australia, according to the Associated Press.

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Barminco Ltd., the owner of the  mine, said in a dismissal letter that it considered the stunt a safety violation, which breached its “core values of safety, integrity and excellence.” The letter also noted that the mining contractor wouldn’t allow the dancing workers to be subcontracted at any of its sites, in Australia or elsewhere.

It’s not clear from the video what safety violations took place, the Associated Press noted.  According to West Australian, the dancing miners wore helmets, lamps and glasses, and had oxygen on hand.  They were, however, shirtless.

A Facebook page has been set up to help the miners get reinstated.

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