Australia's Mining and Energy Union (MEU) said on Wednesday it had filed for same job same pay orders covering 1 700 labour-hire workers at three large BHP coal mines in Queensland.
If successful, the applications to the Fair Work Commission would lift the pay of affected labour-hire workers in the range of A$10 000 ($6 607.00) to A$40 000 a year.
"Today's applications are a major step towards stamping out this model (casual labour hire model) and closing the loopholes that have allowed BHP to avoid paying fair rates in site enterprise agreements," MEU Queensland president Mitch Hughes said in a statement.
BHP did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The company had earlier opposed the same pay same job legislation, saying it produces inflationary wage pressures while putting Australian jobs at risk.
It had also said the legislation takes away the ability to reward employee's experience, high performance, innovation and success.
Wednesday's applications for regulated labour-hire arrangement orders cover workers employed by WorkPac, Chandler Macleod, and BHP subsidiary Operations Services at Peak Downs, Saraji, and Goonyella Riverside open-cut mines in Central Queensland's Bowen Basin.
Peak Downs, Saraji, and Goonyella Riverside are three of the five Queensland coal mines owned by the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and operated by BHP.