Black Coal Mining Industry Investigation

We’re investigating the wages of casual miners working under enterprise agreements in the black coal mining industry.

On this page:

Why we investigate

Proactive investigations allow us to inquire into, and investigate, any conduct or practice in an industry that may be contrary to:

They also allow us to:

  • promote compliance by helping employers and employees better understand their rights and obligations in the workplace
  • ensure compliant workplaces by working closely with state and Australian government regulators, unions and employer organisations to enhance our regulatory reach.

Why we’re investigating casual black coal mining wages

We’re investigating the wages of casual black coal miners under enterprise agreements to:

  • respond to allegations that there have been and are systematic underpayments in the industry sector
  • form an independent assessment of the nature, type and extent of any underpayments
  • inquire into the role and influence of labour hire providers in the sector
  • assess the status of employees (casual and permanent)
  • identify the drivers of any non-compliance in the sector
  • address any non-compliance by taking compliance and enforcement action where we find workplace laws aren’t being followed.

What we’ll be doing

We will investigate allegations of non-compliance in the industry sector arising from:

  • requests for assistance from employees and other workplace participants
  • self-reported non-compliance from employers
  • anonymous tip-offs
  • interviews with employers, employees, unions, employer organisations, advocates, state and Commonwealth regulators
  • our review of employment and business records.

If non-compliance is found, we will:

  • provide employers with tools and resources they need to help them understand and meet their workplace responsibilities
  • use our enforcement tools in accord with our approach to compliance and enforcement.

How to contact us

Employers, employees and others with an interest in the black coal mining industry can contact us to:

  • share information about concerns with wages and entitlements in the sector
  • report concerns about the industry
  • self-report non-compliance
  • request our help with a workplace issue
  • provide information about a business or the sector anonymously – see below

Share information about wages and entitlements

Employees, employers and other workplace participants (like unions, employer representatives and advocates) in the black coal mining industry can provide information or concerns about wages and conditions by emailing at blackcoalmining@fwo.gov.au.

Get our help with a workplace issue

If you have a general question about workplace entitlements or obligations in the black coal mining industry, it’s best to contact us.

We can answer questions about wages, entitlements or responsibilities under an award or enterprise agreement.

We can also help with trying to resolve a workplace problem if it’s outside the scope of our jurisdiction.

Report concerns about the industry anonymously

Prefer to stay anonymous but want to report an issue? Send us a tip-off.

Anyone can report their concerns about the black coal mining industry or black coal mining industry practices using our Anonymous report form. This could be for issues like pay and wages, workplace conditions or workplace problems.

Tools and resources

Related information