November 27, 2025
Mining and Energy Union (MEU) has welcomed legislation introduced to Federal Parliament today that will ensure coal workers receive the long service leave entitlements they are owed and close loopholes that have left some workers wrongly excluded from the scheme.
The Albanese Government’s Bill creates a practical pathway for employers to meet outstanding long service leave debts, some stretching back more than a decade.
The MEU said the reforms reflect recent legal clarity confirming that eligibility for coal long service leave depends on the work performed at a coal mine, not the corporate structure or primary business of the employer.
The Federal Court decision earlier this year in the Coal LSL v Hitachi matter reaffirmed that employees performing mechanical and electrical work integral to day-to-day mine operations are eligible for coverage under the Scheme, even if their employer is not primarily a coal mining company.
MEU General Secretary Grahame Kelly said the Government’s legislation was a long-overdue fix that puts workers first.
Quotes attributable to Grahame Kelly, General Secretary, Mining and Energy Union:
“Legislation introduced to Parliament today strengthens the Coal Long Service Leave Scheme and ensures coal workers get the money they are owed. For too long, some workers on mine sites have been excluded from their full entitlements because of the way their employers structured their business. This Bill provides a practical pathway for those employers to meet outstanding debts and guarantees workers receive everything they’ve earned.
“Unionised coal miners fought for this scheme over seventy years ago, making it one of the first portable long service leave systems for blue-collar workers anywhere in the world. It remains one of the best, and the MEU will always fight to strengthen it and close loopholes wherever they emerge.”
The MEU said it would continue to push back against attempts by employer groups to narrow the scheme or exclude contractors whose work is essential to coal mine operations.