The Mining And Energy Union Podcast
Episodes
Our General President reflects on 27 years in the job
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Maher’s the longest serving General President in the union’s history. On the eve of his retirement, he reflects on the major challenges and v...
What was it like to fight apartheid as a South African mining union leader?
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mining unions played a key role in bringing down apartheid in South Africa. We meet one mining union leader who was at the coal face of the struggle. ...
What’s the Industry minister doing for energy workers?
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can coal fired power station workers across the country ensure they retain stable well paying jobs and their communities thrive into the future? I...
Eliminating vehicle accidents at mine sites
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-07/TRG-ROVOA.pdf
Helensburgh miners chalk up two wins
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is a 130-year-old coal mine back in the news? Miners at Metropolitan mine in Helensburgh have been chalking up the wins this month, securing a str...
BHP win is worth $30,000 to 2,300 miners
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BHP’s been told! The Fair Work Commission has ruled its labour hire rort is over and it needs to cough up the $30,000 per person it’s been dudding...
How do you become a union legend like Bob Hawke?
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Hawke could scull a beer faster than anyone on the planet, he also gave us Medicare. But when he was a union advocate what was so special about hi...
‘Big’ Dan Repacholi on burgers and putting cash in miner’s wallets
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where do you find the best burgers in the Hunter? ‘Big’ Dan Repacholi shares his favourite haunts and talks about the pride he feels when miners t...
Baby On Board
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Planning or expecting a new baby in your family? It can be extra challenging to juggle new parenthood with shift work like mining. In this episode, we...
What to do if the boss calls you into the office
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It can be intimidating to be called into the boss’s office. It’s usually not for a pat on the back. Knowing your rights and having a solid game pl...
How convicts made Australia fair
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Crims, rebels, troublemakers. It might be time to re-think some of the characters sent to Australia from Britain in the 1800s. It turns out most convi...
Delegates rights get a shot in the arm
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Find out how new laws passed by the Albanese government strengthen union delegates’ rights including paid training, support to communicate with memb...
Same Job Same Pay - Cash Hits Wallets
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
$33,000, $26,000, $20,000: these are just some of the parcels of extra cash arriving in the wallets of MEU members across the nation on November 1st -...
Much loved Mayor runs in Queensland election
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Love is not a word you probably associate with your local Mayor. But there’s alot of love for Mayor Anne Baker. She pumped $400 million into the Bow...
Iron ore miners finally get a say
29 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Until now, members mining iron ore at BHP’s hot, dusty sites in the Pilbara haven’t had much say in their pay and conditions. But thanks to years ...
Medicinal cannabis and the workplace
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cannabis can be prescribed to you by a doctor and over 600,000 Aussies are using it to treat medical conditions. But how are employers responding to u...
How do we stop workplace accidents?
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One accident at work is one too many. But how do we make it to zero? One bloke who knows almost everything there is to know about workplace safety is ...
First win under new ‘Same Job, Same Pay’ laws
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are 27 pretty happy coal miners at the Mt Pleasant open cut in the Hunter Valley, they’re the 1st workers in the country to get a pay rise tha...
How iron ore train drivers are rebuilding workers’ power in the Pilbara
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Train drivers at BHP’s iron ore division in The Pilbara are celebrating - they’ve just signed a great deal - but it’s been a long dusty road. An...
Meet the man who shook up unionism 100 years ago
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Coal miner Tom Mann was the Taylor Swift of unionists - he toured the world getting involved in union blues - like in Broken Hill where he was arreste...
How to protect yourself from dust disease
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the re-emergence of Black Lung disease in Queensland in 2015 the MEU has fought for improvements to legislation and industry practice. A recent ...
Applications underway, find out how Same Job Same Pay works
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Callide open cut mine near Biloela is where the union will road test the Albanese Government’s new Same Job Same Pay provisions in the Closing T...
What’s it like to work 50 years at the same mine?
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mining can be a life-long career - sure - but how many coal miners notch up a half century? And how many rack up that 50 years at the same mine? Rober...
Miner vs Miner fight night
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would you watch 24 miners box each other to raise money for a mate injured at work? Yes? Well plenty of people agree with you, the recent ‘Mates in ...
2023 from an Organiser’s perspective
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
MEU organisers from around the country converged on Sydney this week to plan for 2024 - they flew in from Central Queensland, the Pilbara, Broken Hill...
Dust disease under the microscope
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a special bonus this month we’re replaying an episode of an ABC podcast called ‘The History Listen’, it’s part of a series called ‘dusted...
Senate examines closing the labour hire loopholes
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Same Job Same Pay for labour hire workers is part of the Closing Loopholes bill before the federal parliament and are being examined by a senate commi...
How coal miners keep our rescue choppers flying
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Griffith owes his life to The Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service. Of course as a 15-year-old, the Duralie Lodge member had no way of knowing it w...
Why the Voice is close to Colin Gray’s heart
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diesel fitter Colin Gray is a delegate at the Carmichael mine in Queensland. As the Voice referendum approaches, Colin talks about it what it means to...
What is a ‘checkie’ and how do they keep you safe?
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Industry Health & Safety Representatives – known as ‘check inspectors’ – play a unique role in the sector. Some say they have the most importa...
Why July is a month of reflection for coal miners
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the worst disasters to hit coal mining occurred in July. We’ve delved into our archives to bring you a chat with the former General Secretar...
What's it like to be a driller in an open cut pit?
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lawrence Watson’s love affair with drilling began on Valentine's Day 2012 and he’s been going strong ever since. But what makes a good driller? An...
CFMEU to MEU: Make your vote count
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Members of the Mining And Energy Union will vote in coming weeks whether to become an independent organisation. We hear from members why they’re vot...
How Anthony Albanese is making workplaces fairer
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What legal changes are the Albanese Government making to get rid of the labour hire and casualisation rorts? And how are they criminalising wage thef...
How we fought for justice for Graeme Edwards
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Those responsible for Graeme Edwards’ death almost got away with it. Luckily the Victorian Branch of the MEU were on the case and forced a prosecuti...
Energy workers arc up
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to MEU members from power stations and the coal mines that supply them about their concerns as the energy industry rapidly changes – includi...
A day in the life of a Longwall Operator
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to become a longwall operator in an underground mine? This episode we find out the dos and don’ts of this key role from a 6th gene...
2022: Year in Review
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What a year! Voters in the Hunter Valley sent coal miner ‘Big Dan’ Repacholi to Canberra, the national energy grid became big news, and the Albane...
Baby leave wins recognition for Jenna
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When BHP tried to dud their apprentices at Peak Downs, Saraji, Goonyella Riverside & Blackwater out of maternity leave, Jenna Saunders sprung into act...
Why being a shotfirer is a great career move
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shotfirers, or chargers as they’re known in hard rock mines, handle dangerous explosives every day. So it’s an action packed job. But how can gett...
Fight Like Hell: Heroes of the Labour Movement
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Labour Day; The Coal Creek War of 1891, where a Tennessee mining company sacked its workers, tore down their homes and brought in pri...
Ten teams duke it out at the Western Mines Rescue Comp
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ten teams from the Lithgow, Moolarben and Gunnedah districts recently battled it out at the Western Mines Rescue Competition. We followed the team fro...
Would you like to drive a $200 million dragline?
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What would it take to get your bum in the seat of a 6000 tonne, 24 storey dragline excavator? This episode you’ll find out what it’s like to drive...
What’s driving the ‘energy crisis’?
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s driving the east coast ‘energy crisis’? General President Tony Maher gives us his take. And we find out how power station workers in West...
Fighting dodgy conditions at Carmichael
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Members at arguably the most famous coal mine in Australia - the Carmichael open cut in Queensland - feel dudded. Not only is the pay terrible but saf...
Capricornia Needs a Coal Miner in Canberra
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Third generation coal miner, Moranbah local and Labor Party candidate for the seat of Capricornia Russell Robertson talks about ‘Same Job, Same Pay’...
Same Job Same Pay
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This Federal election, the Mining and Energy Union is campaigning for Same Job Same Pay laws to end the pay discrimination between labour hire coal mi...
Vale ‘Living legend of the Illawarra’ Fred Moore
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unionists in the Illawarra are celebrating the life of Mining and Energy Union life member Fred Moore - who passed in January - just nine months short...
Straight shooter Dan standing up for Hunter miners
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to get excited if you live in Cessnock, Muswellbrook or Singleton because you get to vote for a coal miner at the coming Federal Election....
Why have Alabama coal miners been on strike since April?
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day might seem crazy but for 1,100 Alabama coal miners it’s their reality. They’ve been on strike since April Fo...
Grosvenor Lodge Rises From Ashes
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The horrific burns suffered by five members in Anglo American’s Grosvenor mine in May last year were avoidable. The company had been warned many tim...
Pilbara Train Drivers Get Organised
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Iron ore train drivers in the Pilbara are exhausted. They’ve borne the brunt of a sector booming in the middle of a pandemic - leaving some stuck ov...
The Centenary of Queensland’s Worst Mining Disaster - Mt Mulligan
18 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this day in 1921 75 miners at Mt Mulligan in Far North Queensland never returned home from work. The town lost three quarters of its men that day. ...
Decades of struggle behind Queensland’s biggest coal Agreement Part 2 of 2
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The BHP Central Agreement is the biggest and most comprehensive agreement in the Queensland coalfields. As negotiations get underway for the next de...
Decades of struggle behind Queensland’s biggest coal Agreement - Part 1 of 2
24 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The BHP Central Agreement is the biggest and most comprehensive agreement in the Queensland coalfields. As negotiations get underway for the next de...
How to recruit union members
19 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do union delegates do when a member comes to them with a problem? And how do they approach prospective members regarding joining up? We find out....
Can a coal miner win the Upper Hunter by-election?
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Northern Mining and NSW Energy Vice President Jeff Drayton has thrown his hat in the ring for the crucial 22 May Upper Hunter by-election in NSW. He e...
The woman who beat a mining giant with a bottle of water
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1963 one woman took down a massive mining company armed only with a bottle of water. This is her story.
Sailor, Brownie, Captain, Red: Remembering our pit ponies
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The WA Coal Mining Industry is centred on the town of Collie in the South West of the state - the local mines and power stations have been keeping the...
Women Workplace Leaders
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mining and energy industries have traditionally been among the most male-dominated in Australia. But women’s numbers have been growing in our work...
Russell Coight To The Rescue
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nic’s 200 tonne truck burst into flame underneath him one winter’s day back in 2018, and he was lucky to escape with just a few burns. He relives ...
How are Enterprise Agreements made?
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do good EAs get made? And what about bad ones? Find out how labour hire companies use dodgy EAs to remove members’ right to strike and deny them...
How can union activists get the best possible outcome in the workplace?
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are going to end the year on the podcast with some inspiration from union legend, Tom McDonald on how to win a blue.
How was the ‘Battle of Boggabri’ won?
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's been 1 year since Christmas came early for members at Boggabri Coal. In the winter of 2019 they’d had enough of the mine owner’s attempts to ...
BHP OS agreements knocked off: What’s next?
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
BHP’s dodgy Operations Services agreements have been binned by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission. But now the hard work begins of working...
October 2020
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Could a new pilot hydrogen plant in Victoria make Australia the Saudi Arabia of Hydrogen Fuel? And at the same time extend the life of coal mines arou...
September 2020
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our big campaign to protect casual coal miners’ recent legal win kicks off our September episode - if you haven’t emailed your local MP yet head t...
August 2020
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our August episode begins with BHP’s Operations Services Scam - Bowen Basin Organiser Jason Lipscombe describes how ‘The Big Australian’ puts lo...
July 2020
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our July episode begins with South32’s grubby use of the Coronavirus crisis to dial down safety and cut wages at Appin Mine. South Western District ...
June 2020
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our June episode begins with the recent landmark Federal Court judgment that the ‘permanent casual’ work model is unlawful, with Labor’s Tony Bu...
May 2020
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our May episode kicks off with Coronavirus - what else? It’s changed how we all work - from staggered shift starts to cleaning down equipment to dit...