Mining & Energy Union

Mining & Energy Union We stand up for workers in coal mining, power stations, coal ports and metalliferous mining.

14/08/2026

"The old miners fought for us to get the conditions we enjoy today."

Safer workplaces. Better pay. Fair conditions.

None of these happened by accident.

Generations of miners stood together, took risks and fought for the rights many Australians now take for granted. Their courage didn't just change mining—it helped shape workplaces across the country.

As Jack McPhail reminds us, "The union fights for you."

This is more than history. It's a reminder that every right at work was won because ordinary people stood together.

✊ Join the Mining & Energy Union and help protect the rights that generations of workers fought to achieve.

👉 Become a member today on our website.

Incompatible chemicals were accidentally mixed during strata support work at a Queensland underground coal mine, causing...
13/08/2026

Incompatible chemicals were accidentally mixed during strata support work at a Queensland underground coal mine, causing a “bubbling/smoking” reaction and rupturing a delivery line.

The reaction was contained and no injuries were reported but mixing these chemicals can cause fire, over-pressurisation and very toxic airborne contaminants.

The incident occurred after the wrong 200L chemical container was loaded into a transport pod and connected to the pumping system underground.

Mines should review chemical segregation, labelling and connections to ensure incompatible products cannot be mixed in the first place.

Nineteen Wambo washery workers have stared down months of lockouts by multinational coal giant Peabody and won.Members h...
13/08/2026

Nineteen Wambo washery workers have stared down months of lockouts by multinational coal giant Peabody and won.

Members have indicated support for a new agreement delivering the equivalent of 4% increases per year to total rem, a $5,500 sign-on bonus, improvements to accident pay and other improvements members held out for.

Peabody subjected the small workforce to repeated lockouts in an attempt to force them to back down. But members stood together.

When Peabody finally put senior decision-makers in the room and genuinely engaged in negotiations, the deal was done in one meeting.

The lockouts achieved nothing except months of unnecessary conflict and lost wages.

WE ORDERED TOO MANY UNION STICKERS!Actually, that's a lie. There's no such thing. Want some?1. Like this post. 2. Make s...
12/08/2026

WE ORDERED TOO MANY UNION STICKERS!

Actually, that's a lie. There's no such thing. Want some?
1. Like this post.
2. Make sure you follow this page.
3. Comment your workplace / lodge and how many members in your crew.
4. Tag a workmate or ten who should follow the MEU page.
We'll send sticker drops to crews around the country until the box is empty.

12/08/2026

⚠️ SAFETY ALERT: WORKER STRUCK BY ROTATING DRAGLINE

A coal mine worker was knocked unconscious after being struck by a rotating dragline at a Central Queensland mine.

Four workers were on board the dragline. Three dismounted while one remained in control of the machine. Preliminary investigations indicate one of the workers remained in or re-entered the dragline’s operational swing boundaries to retrieve traffic cones and was struck in the head.

Other workers immediately alerted the operator to stop the dragline, preventing what could have been a far more serious or fatal incident.

This is not the first time this has happened.

In 2021, a Queensland coal mine worker was killed after being struck by a rotating dragline within its operational swing boundaries. In 2024, another worker narrowly avoided injury in a similar incident.

The Coal Inspectorate is urging sites to review:

- boarding and disembarking procedures
- controls for entering the house swing radius
- communication between ground workers and dragline operators
- training and competency for workers operating near draglines
- supervision and compliance with site procedures
- the potential use of proximity detection systems.

Workers should never be exposed to an uncontrolled risk from operating machinery. If procedures or controls aren't keeping people out of a dragline's swing radius, raise it.

Investigations into the incident are continuing.

🔗 Read Coal Inspectorate Alert No. 483: link in comments.

Don't miss your chance to make your voice heard! It's census day, and it's more important than ever that mineworkers are...
11/08/2026

Don't miss your chance to make your voice heard!

It's census day, and it's more important than ever that mineworkers are counted. The information gathered will be used to inform policy and distribute funding, so it's vital that our mining communities are represented.

If you're not at home tonight - that's ok. You should still fill out your census from wherever you're staying, or have those in your home tonight mark you as 'away'.

10/08/2026

Congratulations to ACTU Secretary-elect Melissa Donnelly.

We look forward to working with Melissa to build on the success of our mighty trade union movement and tackle the future challenges facing Australian workers.

Melissa has a proven track record delivering outcomes for union members and we know she'll be an excellent leader of our movement 👏💪

⚠️ Broken reversing camera. Two weeks. A recent NSW Resources Regulator safety alert details a serious incident where a ...
08/08/2026

⚠️ Broken reversing camera. Two weeks.

A recent NSW Resources Regulator safety alert details a serious incident where a loaded haul truck reversed into another haul truck while parking up at the end of shift.

The operator was instructed to park the loaded truck and mistakenly used the wheels of a nearby water cart as a reference while reversing, failing to see another parked haul truck. The operator of the parked truck had to abandon the cab moments before the collision.

The investigation found both haul trucks had faulty reversing cameras recorded in their pre-start books, with one camera reportedly not working for more than two weeks.

Following the incident, the Regulator directed the mine to audit every haul truck's reversing camera, repair defective units as a priority, and introduce safe work procedures for any truck operating without a functioning reversing camera.

A zip-tie has no place on a dead-man control.A Queensland underground coal mine has reported a potential incident after ...
07/08/2026

A zip-tie has no place on a dead-man control.

A Queensland underground coal mine has reported a potential incident after a pre-start inspection found a dead-man lever on a QDS bolter had been zip-tied in the "on" position, defeating a critical safety control.

The machine was immediately taken out of service. Thankfully, it was picked up before anyone was hurt.

This is exactly why pre-start inspections are important.

Dead-man controls are there to protect workers. If a safety-critical control has been bypassed, restrained or isn't working as designed, the machine shouldn't be operating.

If you find something that doesn't look right, stop the job, report it and get it fixed.

Nothing is worth taking shortcuts with safety.

On this day in 1994, eleven workers lost their lives in an explosion in the Moura No 2 underground mine.Late in the even...
07/08/2026

On this day in 1994, eleven workers lost their lives in an explosion in the Moura No 2 underground mine.

Late in the evening on Sunday 7 August, 21 miners were in the mine when an explosion tore through workings. Ten miners, positioned closest to the portal, were able to escape to the surface. 11 miners, undertaking pillar development in a more southern panel, were unable to escape the explosion.

Rescue and recovery efforts continued for two days until a second, more violent explosion shook the mine. It was then that mine rescue experts made the heartbreaking decision to seal the mine, entombing the 11 workers still underground.

Moura No 2 was the third disaster to strike the Moura coalfields in less than two decades. Just eight years earlier, 12 miners were killed in an explosion at the nearby sister pit, Moura No 4. In total, 36 miners would lose their lives in the Moura community, out of a total population of 1500.

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215-217 Clarence Street
The Rocks, NSW
2000

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