Australia’s energy transition has taken a sharper turn for workers this week, with AGL Energy confirming plans to cut roughly 300 roles across its operations, a move unions say risks leaving coal-sector employees stranded without proper transition support.
Briefings were held with staff at the company’s Bayswater power station in New South Wales and Loy Yang A plant in Victoria, where workers were told reductions would span operational and management positions. Hydropower and other business units are also understood to be affected, reflecting a broader structural reset at the country’s largest electricity generator.
AGL, which employs close to 4,000 people, has long acknowledged that its shift to low-carbon energy will reshape its workforce. The company has committed to closing Bayswater in 2033 and Loy Yang A in 2035, two of Australia’s most significant coal facilities, and says the latest cuts are part of a company-wide effort to streamline operations and stay competitive during the transition.
But the timing has alarmed unions, particularly as the federal government’s Net Zero Economy Authority begins rolling out frameworks designed to ensure workers at aging fossil-fuel sites can retrain and move into new roles. The Mining and Energy Union argues AGL is acting prematurely to avoid those obligations.
“This is a blow for power station workers heading into Christmas,” said MEU general secretary Grahame Kelly, accusing the company of accelerating cuts before transition-support requirements fully take hold.
AGL, in a statement, said it remains committed to communicating “with transparency and respect” and stressed that the restructure is not linked to the imminent closure of its plants, but is driven by rising costs, market volatility and evolving customer needs.
The news comes as power-intensive industries face mounting pressure, with Tomago Aluminium warning this week it may be forced to shut by 2028 due to soaring energy prices — underscoring the workforce upheaval accompanying Australia’s clean-energy shift.
AGL to cut 300 jobs amid energy transition; unions raise alarm
