BHP Port Hedland iron ore workers to strike August 8-9, union says

Workers at BHP Group's Port Hedland iron ore operations in Western Australia plan to go on strike next week, affecting 16 shipments and around 150 employees.

Workers at BHP Group's Port Hedland iron ‌ore operations in Western Australia plan to go on strike next week, including a 24-hour ban on loading ships and a work stoppage, the unions said on Friday.

The Combined Ports Unions represents three unions, including the Western Mine Workers Alliance, as well as electrical ‌and manufacturing workers. Union spokesperson Adam Woodage said 16 shipments were expected to be held up over the two days. Around 150 ‌workers are expected to take part in the strike, he told reporters in Melbourne.

BHP did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Unions are making their biggest push in 30 years to penetrate Australia's mining heartland, emboldened by a Labor government law in 2022 giving them the power to negotiate wage deals that cover ⁠several employers ​and more scope to request flexible ⁠arrangements and industry-wide strikes.

The group said workers would impose a 24-hour ban on loading ships on August 8, followed by a 24-hour work stoppage at ⁠the Port Hedland Bulk Export Terminal beginning at 0530 AWST on August 9. Port Hedland, in the country's northwest, is a major artery for Australian iron ore, ​through which $80 million of BHP's products transit each day.

High-voltage and power workers negotiating a separate enterprise agreement with BHP will ⁠also undertake a 12-hour stoppage on August 9, the alliance said. "We have given ample opportunity for BHP to come to the table with a fair offer that ⁠addresses ​our members' concerns," Western Mine Workers Alliance spokesperson Craig Beveridge said in a statement.

The unions most recently met with BHP on July 28, but no agreement was reached. The world's largest listed miner has been in negotiations for more than seven months with ⁠unions representing around 450 operators and maintenance workers over a four-year enterprise agreement.

The unions said workers were seeking enforceable wage and condition protections ⁠through a new enterprise agreement. Port ⁠Hedland is one of the largest iron ore loading ports in the world, and is also used by miners Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting.

Earlier this month, BHP posted record iron ore output and higher ‌realised prices.