Welcome to the website of the Collieries’ Staff Division of APESMA

The Collieries' Staff Division is a division of APESMA dedicated to providing effective representation for all staff in the Coal Mining Industry on employment related issues. Our members are spread across Australia and we pride ourselves on working with our members to ensure a robust, collective approach to staff issues within the Coal Mining Industry by focusing on workplace issues and building strong delegate networks. We also provide individual advice and representation for our members on a broad range of issues.

The Collieries’ Staff Division was formed in 2001 when the Australian Collieries’ Staff Association amalgamated with the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (APESMA) to successfully strengthen the industrial position of both organisations. APESMA in total has a membership base of over 27,000.

We have offices in Sydney, covering the NSW coal fields of the Illawarra, Western District, the Hunter, Newcastle and Tasmania; and Rockhampton, covering all the QLD coal fields of the Bowen Basin Surat Basin & Ipswich and Western Australia.

Visit the Contact Us page for details for each of our offices.

Why join the CSD?

There are five key reasons to join the Collieries’ Staff Division of APESMA. These are:

1. Improving Safety, Salaries & Work Lives
2. Employment Support & Assistance
3. Legal Defence Fund
4. Representation on Industry Matters
5. Safety

1. Improving Safety, Salaries & Work Lives

The Collieries’ Staff Division’s first priority is to support and assist members in improving salaries and conditions in the Coal Mining Industry. We do this through your industry award and building strong collectives within the workplace to negotiate enterprise agreements or conditions to benefit all members on site.

We are also able to assist members who are negotiating individual contracts, salary agreements or Australian Workplace Agreements.

As a member, you have access to advice and support on:

• The protection and entitlements of the Industry Award
• The annual market rates survey of salaries of staff in the Coal Mining Industry, and using this information to your advantage
• Your employment contract
• Your entitlements and conditions of employment at your workplace
• Assistance with long service claims

2. Employment Support & Assistance

APESMA’s Industrial Officers and our strong Delegate’s network ensure you will always know where you stand, how best to manage a situation and make the right decisions, including:

• Responding to workplace change in the case of redundancy or if your job is in jeopardy
• Protecting your entitlements
• Handlings any concerns about your performance
• Clarifying what you can reasonably be expected to do in the workplace
• Advice on disciplinary issues
• Advice on hours of work, and you rights to refuse “unreasonable” extra hours

APESMA provides many staff in the Coal Mining Industry with representation from the workplace to the courts when problems arise from employment.

3. Legal Defence Fund

APESMA has set up a legal defence fund with a substantial proportion of your fees being set aside to assist members who are subject to a Safety Investigation and / or other legal matters.

Members are increasingly at risk of legal proceedings arising from their duties as employees. Such legal proceedings include criminal prosecutions under Occupational Health and Safety law and environmental law and manslaughter charges.

The Legal Defence Fund has been used to defend various members who were involved in safety incidents in our industry. 

Payment from the Legal Defence fund is made in accordance with the Collieries’ Staff Division policy on legal assistance to members. A copy of this policy may be obtained from any Collieries’ Staff Division office. To be eliglble for assistance from the fund, members must be fully finanical at the time of the incident.

4. Representation on Industry Matters

APESMA members and staff are active in shaping the Coal Mining Industry and your workplace. Join us to:

• Provide a voice for staff in your industry
• Represent staff in the Coal Mining Industry on the bodies that help define and regulate our industry
• Provide input into safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and codes of practice
• Lobby government on issues relevant to staff in the Coal Mining Industry
• Represent the interests of staff on the industry superannuation funds
• Develop influential and supportive workplace based committee

5. Safety

We provide members with valuable advice regarding Occupational Health and Safety prosecutions. We have published a help guide for members explaining your rights should there be a reportable incident at your mine. Your Rights in Mine Safety Investigations is an invaluable guide all staff should keep in their top drawer. And of course should an incident happen, APESMA provides more detailed advice and assistance to members.

Additional benefits

APESMA also provide a number of other services designed to help your budget which can save you hundreds of dollars each year including:

• Member benefits – discounts on car hire, new cars, health insurance and movie tickets through our member benefits plan.
• Access to discounted financial services such as financial planning and insurance advice. 
• Access to discounted training through our association with the Chifley Business School.
• Union Shopper – real discount shopping eg white goods, computers and travel

More information about the benefits of membership can be found at the APESMA Membership page.

Join with other staff to improve conditions and safety in the Coal Mining Industry.