The Mining & Energy Union is a Division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union.
Our Union has been representing mining and energy workers for over 150 years.
Our members work in underground and open cut coal and metals mines, the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity (predominantly from coal-fired power stations), the petrochemical industry and iron ore mining and transportation. Our members face significant challenges including inherently dangerous workplaces, ruthlessly profit-driven multinational employers and rampant casualisation of the workforce.
We are fighting to continuously improve workplace health and safety, for fair workplace deals that recognise the contribution of mining and energy workers, for secure, permanent jobs and for investment in the regional communities that sustain our industries.
History
The Union was first federally registered in 1915 as the Australasian Coal & Shale Employees Federation (ACSEF). Amalgamations in the 1990s, including with the Federated Mine Mechanics Association (FMMA), expanded industry coverage, creating the United Mineworkers Federation of Australia (UMFA). After a further series of amalgamations we became the Mining & Energy Division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (MEU). The MEU is one of Australia's largest unions.
District Offices
The Union has a District Structure which covers most of Australia. Districts directly provide services to members. Read more about Districts and Find Your District.
It pays to belong - what we offer to members
The MEU is proud to provide an outstanding range of services and benefits to members.
A union’s greatest strength is always its members and there is no better service to members than the mutual support offered by fellow members. By pooling our resources, both financially and industrially, the MEU is able to provide a wide range of services to its diverse membership. Find out about the benefits and services available to members of MEU Mining and Energy.
Industries covered by the Mining and Energy Division
The Division covers several industries - the coal industry, coal ports, the metalliferous mining industry, electric power generation, oil and gas and the small coke industry.
- The Coal Industry: The coal industry is the vast bulk of the MEU's coverage and represents an overwhelming majority of the workforce in coal mining.
- Coal Ports. The unions represents the majority of people employed at export coal ports located along the east coast of Australia
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Metalliferous Mining: The MEU covers most metalliferous miners in Broken Hill where silver, lead and zinc ores are mined. The MEU also has some members at metalliferous mines in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.
In 2013 the MEU joined forces with the AWU to form an alliance in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Alliance covers some classifications of workers in the Pilbara region. You can find out more from the Western Mineworkers' Alliance. - Oil, gas and electricity: The division has around 1,200 members employed in power stations, oil refineries and other parts of the oil and gas production chain.
- The Coke Industry: The coke industry as a stand-alone commercial industry is quite small in Australia. Most coke production is tied to iron and steel operations. There are stand-alone coke works on the South Coast of NSW (north of Wollongong) and in Bowen in Northern Queensland. The MEU covers the cokeworks on the south coast of NSW and the AWU covers the Bowen coke works.