Key facts
- Wage negotiations between BHP and unions for Port Hedland workers ended without an agreement.
- Further talks are scheduled for the upcoming week.
- The Electrical Trades Union will hold separate discussions with BHP negotiators on Thursday.
- The dispute involves around 450 operators and maintenance workers seeking a four-year enterprise agreement.
- Union representatives estimate they are seeking an additional A$25,000 per worker.
Wage negotiations between mining giant BHP and unions representing workers at its Port Hedland iron ore operations concluded without an agreement. The talks, which have been ongoing for over seven months for a four-year enterprise agreement covering approximately 450 operators and maintenance staff, are set to resume next week.
Progress had been reported in earlier discussions, but the latest round of negotiations did not yield a deal. The Electrical Trades Union, one of three unions within the Combined Ports Unions coalition, is scheduled to meet separately with BHP negotiators on Thursday. The union is seeking an average increase of A$25,000 per worker annually, citing stagnant wages for long-standing employees and concerns about a two-tiered workforce where new hires receive higher rates.
Port Hedland is a critical export hub for Australian iron ore, with an estimated $80 million of BHP's products transiting through it daily. Last week, over 100 workers participated in an eight-hour stoppage. Portfolio manager Andy Forster of Argo Investments noted that while the industrial action had not significantly disrupted operations thus far, further interruptions would be concerning. BHP has stated its commitment to bargaining in good faith and views the involvement of the Fair Work Commission as a constructive path forward.