What’s happening?
Mineworkers gathered at Rockhampton Leagues Club last 8 July to celebrate a landmark decision handed down by the Fair Work Commission. The Commission ruled in favour of the Mining and Energy Union’s application for Same Job Same Pay at three major BHP coal mines in Central Queensland. This decision covers labour hire workers at Saraji, Goonyella Riverside and Peak Downs mines, including those employed by BHP Operations Services.
Why it matters
The ruling means labour hire workers must now be paid at the higher rates of permanent employees. It marks the biggest Same Job Same Pay win in the coal industry so far and challenges BHP’s long-standing labour hire model. Mitch Hughes, MEU Queensland President, said, “BHP has fought our Same Job Same Pay applications tooth and nail, trying to protect the wage-cutting employment model it pioneered. This decision reaffirms that BHP’s approach of using labour hire to undercut bargained wages is no longer lawful and it’s time to pay up.”
Local Impact
Mitch Hughes and union representatives joined affected workers in Rockhampton to acknowledge the outcome. The event was held at Cambridge Street’s Rockhampton Leagues Club, highlighting the importance of this decision for local mineworkers and their families. Allan, an Operations Services worker, said, “My crew performs the same work, on the same equipment, under the same policies as my directly employed workmates, but are paid far less. I hope today’s decision ends this dodgy practice for good.”
By the numbers
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More than 2000 workers at three mines are set to benefit from the ruling
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The annual pay increase for these workers will be in the order of 30,000 dollars
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It is the MEU’s sixth successful Same Job Same Pay application in Queensland and seventeenth nationally, delivering over 100 million dollars in annual pay rises
Zoom In
The decision affects labour hire workers employed by WorkPac, Chandler Macleod and BHP’s own Operations Services. Once orders are made, these workers will receive the same pay as permanent employees at Saraji, Peak Downs and Goonyella Riverside. This outcome follows a long campaign by the Mining and Energy Union and is seen as a direct response to years of wage disparity.
Zoom Out
This is not just a win for Central Queensland. The Fair Work Commission’s decision has broader significance for the coal industry across Australia. It signals a clear shift against labour hire arrangements that undercut wages. MEU General Secretary Grahame Kelly said, “There are still thousands of workers across the coal industry waiting for Same Job Same Pay decisions that are being held up by employers’ delaying tactics. This clear decision by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission should send a message not just to BHP but to the whole industry that the time for ripping off labour hire workers is over.”
What to look for next
The MEU still has ten active Same Job Same Pay applications before the Fair Work Commission. The union is urging employers to stop legal interference that is delaying long-awaited pay rises for other workers. The broader coal industry will now watch how quickly these changes are put into action and how many more workers will see fair pay restored.
