Tony Maher first started work in the resources industry in 1979 at Rio Tinto’s sliver lead zinc mine in Broken Hill.
Tony has been General President of the Mining and Energy Union, a division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union since August 1998. Prior to that he held various positions in one of the CFMEU’s predecessor unions the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen’s Association (FEDFA). He has been an organiser, industrial officer and campaigner, with many years experience running industrial cases in industrial tribunals on behalf of members.
He has been National President of the broader CFMEU since 2004, chairing the committees that determine the overall relationship of the CFMEU with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, employer groups and governments of the day across Australia.
Tony leads the union’s involvement in the IndustriALL international trade union to which the CFMEU is affiliated. He is a member of the International Executive Committee and a Vice President of the Asia Pacific region.
He has led union work on climate change since 2006, including via the ACTU’s Climate Group since 2008. This has included the Australian Government’s Carbon Capture and Storage Taskforce and the Prime Minister’s Energy Efficiency Advisory Group. He has represented Australian unions at several meetings of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.