The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) and the Mining and Energy Union (MEU) launched an alliance in Cobar last week in a bid to better represent metals miners in NSW.

Union representatives in the area on Tuesday 11 June said the new NSW Mine Workers’ Alliance will cover gold and copper miners in Cobar.

The alliance will begin officially operating on 1 July 2024.

"For a long time now, the MEU has had an office in Broken Hill and represented workers in metalliferous mining there, and the AWU has had members across the rest of NSW," the AWU's NSW Branch Secretary Tony Callinan said.

"If you applied a business model to it and you had two completely separate companies trying to do the same thing alongside each other, we see a real benefit in pooling our resources.

"For example, if our employee organiser in Cobar goes on holidays, our next organiser would be in Griffith. Well, now I've got one at Broken Hill if we need one to assist members."

Metalliferous mining includes iron ore, copper, tin, nickel, gold, silver and zinc, and excludes coal and oil.

Mining has been part of Cobar for over 100 years. Copper was discovered there in 1870. PHOTO: Wikimedia

Mr Callinan said the alliance will also push for local mining jobs in Cobar.

"When we toured out there last week, we got a consistent message that with a 'fly in, fly out,' a 'drive in, drive out' workforce, the community suffer," Mr Callinan said.

 "It costs a lot of money to fly workers in and out and to accommodate them in a camp. We think the local residents should have these jobs, that the money should stay in the community.

"At Cobar, there used to be hotels or bars there. Now there's only one operational.

"Things like residential employees should be getting some sort of allowance in recognition that they maintain a residence in the community."

 Cobar Shire mayor Jarrod Marsden, who attended the launch, said he welcomed the alliance.

"Garnering the strength of those two unions to protect and preserve and enhance workers' rights, I think, is very important," Cr Marden said.

"It's not a nice-to-have, it's a must-have."

The union also held a launch event at Broken Hill on Thursday 13 June.