May 16, 2025
Bulga Open Cut has become the first Glencore mine to receive a Same Job Same Pay order from the Fair Work Commission. The pay rises will come into effect from 18 May.
Glencore, the biggest mining employer in the Hunter Valley, has challenged the MEU’s Same Job Same Pay applications at all its operations.
Northern District Vice President Chad Hanson said that the first Glencore order at Bulga was enthusiastically welcomed by contractors at the site. About 150 employees of Workpac and Programmed are in line for pay rises around $35,000 a year.
“It’s also great news for contractors at Glencore’s other operations in the Valley, giving them hope that orders at their sites won’t be too far behind,” said Chad.
Same Job Same Pay applications are still before the Fair Work Commission at Glencore sites Mt Owen/Glendell, United Wambo, Hunter Valley Operations, Ravensworth, and Mangoola.
United Wambo Lodge representatives, with Vice President Mick Taggart and District Legal Officer Stefan Mueller, were in Sydney this week for three days of hearings at the Fair Work Commission regarding their application.
Hearings are now complete and awaiting decision by the Fair Work Commission at all Glencore pits except for Hunter Valley Operations. At HVO, hearings this month did not finish within the two days allocated, with a further hearing date of 4 June listed.
Overall, there are applications at 13 coal mines in NSW and Queensland still before the Fair Work Commission.
The re-election of the Albanese Labor Government means Same Job Same Pay laws are not at risk of being overturned and will continue to be rolled out across the industry.
The largest outstanding matter involves applications for the Queensland BHP sites of Peak Downs, Saraji, and Goonyella Riverside, which were challenged by BHP and heard in the Fair Work Commission in February.
This matter affects over 2000 labour hire workers across the three mines and is an important test case about the treatment of ‘service contractors’ and BHP’s in-house labour company Operations Services.
Timing of the decision is in the hands of the Fair Work Commission and we are hopeful of a decision shortly.
Same Job Same Pay status update
| Orders issued at: | Applications before the Fair Work Commission – awaiting decision |
| Callide | Peak Downs* |
| Mt Pleasant | Saraji* |
| Rix’s Creek | Goonyella Riverside* |
| Boggabri | Daunia |
| German Creek/Lake Lindsay | Tahmoor |
| Coppabella | Mt Owen/ Glendell* |
| Poitrel | United Wambo* |
| Bengalla | Hunter Valley Operations |
| Mt Arthur | Mangoola* |
| Appin | Blackwater |
| Dawson | Maules Creek* |
| Bulga | Ravensworth* |
| Mt Thorley Warkworth | Caval Ridge |
| Dendrobium | Helensburgh |
| Broadmeadow |
*At these sites, Fair Work Commission hearings are complete and awaiting decision. The other sites have hearings on-going.