Mining & Energy Union

Happy Kings Birthday public holiday, for those who have today off.

This 1900 photo is of the Birthday Shaft of Balmain Colliery, named to commemorate the birthday of Queen Victoria.

Located in the heart of Sydney, Balmain Colliery operated as a coal mine from 1897 to 1931, when it shifted to natural gas.

Balmain was famed for its vertical shaft. With a seam 900 meters below the bustling streets of Sydney, Balmain was the deepest coal mine in Australia.

In 1950, Balmain Colliery was filled in with ash and concrete from the nearby White Bay power station. It is now some of the most valuable real estate in Australia.

MEU organisers have been out at Ravensworth this week and one thing is very pretty clear: Members are fired up and well informed!

They know exactly what's being proposed by Glencore, exactly what's at stake and exactly why these issues matter beyond a single agreement.

Members know that once lower-tier structures make their way into agreements, they don't disappear. They become the starting point for the next agreement, the next site and the next generation of workers. They also know that MONTHS have been spent fighting off this attack, while Glencore ignore their other claims and refuse to consider backpaying to offset the delay in getting a fair deal done.

If Glencore wants different employment arrangements, then directly employ workers and negotiate them properly through the EA. That's always been an option.

The mood at Ravensworth is strong, questions were sharp and support for standing together across Ravensworth, Wambo and Mangoola remains solid.

Their protected action ballot opens next week.

Last week, MEU members at Vales Point power station voted to endorse their agreement which included a minimum pay increase in the first year of 6.5%.

🔝On top of that, a portion of a previously discretionary bonus has been moved into a weekly allowance, adding to salaries and super.
💸The agreement will be backpaid to 1 Jan 2026.
🔒Paid parental leave moved from policy into the EA.
👷‍♂️A Just Transition clause to ensure proactive steps are taken co-operatively ahead of energy transition timeframes.
🤕Super to be paid on first 3 months of workers compensation time.

It took a huge amount of united effort, including a protected action ballot, congratulations to all members involved!

The gap between members at Wambo Washery & Peabody is ~$40,000 per year of the agreement. How much do you reckon Peabody has spent trying not to pay it?
🤯 Overtime ✈️ Queensland contractors
💪 Weeks of industrial action

Today, Wambo Washery workers sat through another meeting where Peabody explained that the industrial action isn't affecting operations.

That's an interesting thing to keep trying to convince us about.

The most interesting moment came when workers were told that if Wambo Open Cut starts taking protected industrial action, it will become even easier for the washery to continue to easily meet its contractual obligations.

Economists have a term for this sort of thing: *revealed preference*.

It's the idea that what people do tells you more than what they say.

Peabody says the industrial action isn't working. But Peabody keeps making the meetings allll about how much it isnt working. They keep trying to convince us about how little it's working.

Presumably in the hopes it'll stop the action that isnt working...

🔥💪 Over 95% YES to all questions. 95% turnout. 70% voted in the first few hours. 💪🔥

For anyone wondering how workers feel about the direction of bargaining at Wambo, there's your answer.

Wambo United.

Great to launch our report, Guardians of Mine Safety, at NSW Parliament today!

Guardians of Mine Safety tracks over 150 years of the development of Check Inspectors in the NSW Coalfield, from the earliest days in a pioneering and drastically dangerous industry to the ISHRs and SSHRs who keep us safe today.

It reveals that the Check Inspector system is the global gold standard for worker-elected safety representation, and makes a strong case for it to be expanded into other high-hazard industries like metaliferous mining.

A big thank you to NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis and Resources Minister Courtney Houssos for joining us to celebrate this very significant anniversary.