By Darren Cartwright

The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) has placed indefinite bans on single-driver cane trains at seven Queensland sugar mills following a serious accident.

AWU Northern District Secretary Rod Stockham said a driver was crushed between a train and cane bins on Friday night at the CSR Pioneer mill in north Queensland.

He was airlifted to Townsville Hospital and is in the intensive care unit.

"He's not doing real well," Mr Stockham told AAP.

"He's lucky people were working on the site at the time.

"These bans are indefinite."

It's the second time in as many months the AWU has locked horns with the sugar industry, after a pay dispute with Bundaberg Sugar in August.

That dispute has been settled.

Mr Stockham said the AWU had been in dispute with CSR since 2001 about the operation of single-driver remote shunting units.

"We are totally opposed to inherently unsafe shunting units," Mr Stockham said.

Bans have been placed on CSR mills at Plane Creek, near Sarina, Inkerman, Pioneer, Kalamia and Invicta mills in the Burdekin region, and Victoria and Macknade in the Herbert River region.

The AWU will be seeking further talks with CSR.

CSR was being sought for comment.

© 2009 AAP