Queensland District

Social media is a popular way to reconnect with old school friends (yep, even the ones you lost touch with on purpose) and share pics of your dream holiday.
But it has also become a popular way for a mining bosses to keep tabs on workers and find reasons to discipline or sack them.
Remember, if you’re reading this on Facebook there’s every chance Richard from HR is too. Here are our top tips for using social media without it coming back to bite you.

Secret BHP footage, ads target wage-cutting, coal industry myth-busting and more in the September Common Cause.

Mineworkers at Peabody’s Coppabella mine in central Queensland are set to receive a backpay windfall after the Fair Work Commission found that a requirement to attend the site office 15 minutes before shift for preparations and transport was work time. 

The legal win in the case brought by CFMEU Mining and Energy will deliver hundreds of affected workers up to $15,000 each and is estimated to cost Peabody some $3 million in total.

CFMEU 24th Annual Memorial Day Service, Cessnock
Sunday 8 September 2019

To stand here with you today, for my first time as Labor leader, is a sombre honour.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gather.

As we join here together as a union family, I would also like to acknowledge National President Tony Maher and District President Peter Jordan.

The Miners Union has today launched an ad campaign calling out BHP for dishonestly offering ‘BHP jobs’ to coal miners through shelf companies established for a dollar last year.

Open cut mines in Central Queensland must do more to control dust in dry weather conditions, the Miners Union said today.

CFMEU Mining and Energy Queensland President Stephen Smyth said Bowen Basin towns including Moranbah and Bluff are suffering from high dust levels, partly due to dust blowing from nearby open cut coal mines.

“Dust is worse all round in the dry weather, but dust blowing off coal mines is a contributing factor to high dust levels in towns,” said Mr Smyth.

When the Oakdale mine closed in 1999, workers were left with millions of dollars in unpaid entitlements. A determined campaign, including a national strike, led to a $6.3 million payout. 20 years later we look back at our great win.

The CFMEU has filed a landmark class action to win back millions of dollars in unpaid entitlements for coal miners misclassified as casuals by labour hire firm WorkPac.

The union’s class action against one of Australia's largest labour hire companies will aim to recover entitlements worth at least $12 million owing to around 600 union members employed by WorkPac since 2013.

The lead applicant is Hunter Valley coal miner, Ben Renyard, who worked at Mount Thorley Warkworth mine through WorkPac for nearly three years.

WorkPac class action seeks millions for casuals; BHP profit result; Oakdale victory 20 years on and more news from CFMEU Mining & Energy.

CFMEU members at specialist contractor Wilson Mining will receive backpay for public holidays that fell on rostered days off in a decision that confirms that mineworkers can be eligible for public holiday loading even if they are not at work. 

Wilson’s Enterprise Agreement states that mineworkers who are rostered off on a public holiday should receive an additional eight hours ordinary time pay plus average bonus.