Key facts
- Workers at BHP's Port Hedland iron ore export terminal will strike for eight hours on July 16.
- The strike follows over six months of unsuccessful wage negotiations.
- The port is the world's largest bulk iron ore export facility.
- Unions represent port operations and maintenance teams.
- BHP is seeking to continue negotiations for a fair deal.
Workers at BHP Group's Port Hedland iron ore export terminal in Western Australia are planning an eight-hour strike on July 16. The action comes after more than six months of negotiations failed to yield an agreement on wages and working conditions. The unions, representing port operations and maintenance teams, are seeking a "transparent, enforceable agreement that reflects specialist skills, difficult conditions and significant personal costs of workers." Port Hedland is the world's largest bulk iron ore export port, and the strike could potentially cost BHP tens of millions of dollars and disrupt exports to steel mills in China, Japan, and South Korea. BHP stated it is eager to continue negotiating constructively for a fair deal while ensuring safe operations.