Workers at BHP Group’s Port Hedland iron ore export terminal in Western Australia will stage an eight-hour strike on July 16, unions say. The action follows more than six months of negotiations that do not result in an agreement over pay and working conditions. Multiple reports describe the Port Hedland operation as the world’s largest iron ore export port and note that the planned strike is among the most significant industrial actions in years.
Bloomberg reports the planned walkout will be the first strike at BHP’s Port Hedland operations since 2000, following last-ditch talks that fail to avert industrial action. Other coverage adds that the dispute proceeds to Australia’s workplace umpire, the Fair Work Commission, after BHP takes the matter there. Unions in Western Australia say they will not allow the process to delay or derail planned strikes and describe additional steps ahead of the action, including recruitment efforts.
One outlet reports that about 200 workers take part, while other sources refer more generally to “hundreds” of workers. The strike timing comes as BHP faces broader market scrutiny, including a quarterly update, and could affect some iron ore supply flow from the port.
