December 19, 2025
Dear Members,
As I prepare to finish my term as General President at the end of this year, I have found myself reflecting on what an extraordinary privilege it has been to lead this union for almost three decades. It has truly been the honour of my life.
When Central Council took a chance on a 37-year-old who joined the union through amalgamation, I could not have imagined the scale of the challenges ahead – nor the strength and unity our members would show in meeting them. From 1998 onward, in the face of industrial law changes designed to strip workers of rights and weaken unions, our members stood firm. Through long struggles, strikes, and lockouts, you faced down some of the world’s most powerful corporations and governments determined to take us backwards. Time and again, it was your courage and solidarity that made the difference.
I am proud that our union didn’t just respond to change – we shaped it. With the support of members, we built campaigning capability that enabled us to influence public opinion and impact politics. Central Council backed new approaches like the Unite Organising team and our AWU Alliances, which grew our strength and diversity. You drove that work and amplified it far beyond what could have been imagined at the start.
As I step aside, I do so knowing the major unfinished tasks have been completed, none more important than securing the MEU’s future as a strong, independent union. I leave confident in the leadership that will carry the union forward – the most skilled, experienced, and deserving team the MEU has ever had. With the talented Stephen Smyth and a new General President in Grahame Kelly, the union is in the best possible hands.
Thank you for the trust, solidarity and strength you have brought to this union.
Yours in solidarity,
Tony Maher
General President
Mining and Energy Union
