July 30, 2025
What would you say if you had five minutes alone with the federal Government and the big end of town?
Next month, union representatives will walk into a landmark meeting with ministers and employer groups to talk about the shape of work in Australia. They want to carry one thing above all else: the lived experience of the people like you – people who actually clockon, sweat, innovate and keep the country running.
That is where you come in. The Australian union movement is launching a fast, fiveminute survey designed to collect candid stories from workers across every sector – importantly including mine workers. The questions are simple: Does management genuinely listen when you suggest a safer or smarter way to do the job? Do you have the training and technology you need? Can you see a real career pathway, or are you jumping from roster to roster with no security?
For years we have been told that “flexibility” and “productivity” are the only measures that matter. Workers know there is far more at stake: decent wages, predictable rosters, safe sites, strong apprenticeships and a fair share of the gains from new technology.
By filling out the survey you ensure that our delegates walk into the meeting armed with concrete evidence rather than abstract statistics.
The timing could not be more critical. The federal government is finalising its Future of Work agenda, employers are sharpening their push to automate, and artificial intelligence is creeping into everything from rostering apps to remoteoperated equipment. If we are not in the room, decisions will be made without us.
Mining and Energy Union members have never been shy about standing up. When work isn’t safe, we stop it. When labour hire threatened permanent jobs, we fought for Same Job Same Pay. This survey is another tool in that same toolbox: collective power expressed through thousands of individual voices.
Take five minutes to complete the survey visit the website, and tell us exactly what you think. Your answers will remain confidential, but the message they carry will be delivered in the strongest possible terms:
We are the people who do the work. We know what works – and what doesn’t. And we expect to be heard.