Key facts
- Workers at BHP's Port Hedland iron ore operations are on strike for 48 hours.
- The unions are demanding better pay and career progression.
- BHP ships approximately $80 million of iron ore daily through Port Hedland.
- The strike involves about 150 workers and could halt ship loading.
- BHP has achieved record quarterly iron ore production of 265 million tonnes.
- Negotiations between BHP and unions are ongoing, with the next meeting on August 18.
Workers at BHP's Port Hedland operations in Western Australia began a 48-hour strike on Saturday, marking the first significant industrial action at the world's largest iron ore export hub in over two decades. Approximately 150 workers are participating in the action, which includes a 24-hour ship-loading ban followed by a 24-hour stoppage. The Combined BHP Ports Unions (CBPU) are negotiating a four-year bargaining agreement, demanding better pay and career progression, and have rejected BHP's offer of a 16% pay rise over four years. Despite the labor dispute, BHP has achieved record quarterly iron ore production of 265 million tonnes. The company ships about $80 million of iron ore daily through Port Hedland. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for August 18, the same day BHP is set to report its annual results. The action is not expected to affect rival miners Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting, which also utilize the port.