Hundreds of workers at the Australian mining company BHP's Port Hedland iron ore facility in Western Australia may stage an eight-hour work stoppage on July 16, after six months of unsuccessful negotiations on a new four-year labor agreement, according to union officials, according to a Reuters report.
The proposed action, which unions are calling the largest strike at the facility in recent decades, could involve 160-200 employees out of about 450 workers responsible for port operations and maintenance. The workers are represented by the United Port Trade Unions, which include four unions operating at the facility. According to union representatives, the planned shutdown can still be avoided if a meeting is held between BHP and trade union representatives.Unions and BHP continue negotiations
Adam Woodage, secretary of the Electrical Trades Union of Western Australia, said strike action was not the unions' preferred option, but became necessary after negotiations failed to reach an agreement. He expressed hope that the planned actions would facilitate further negotiations.
BHP said it recently reached a new agreement with the company covering 1,800 workers in its mining Zone C and Southern Flank facilities without strikes. The company said it remains committed to negotiating a fair agreement while ensuring safe and trouble-free operation. The company noted that the South Flank agreement includes a 16 percent pay increase over four years, higher on-site allowances, and a new flight delay compensation scheme. However, the Australian Industrial Workers Union said the wage increase did not adequately compensate workers for working conditions and time spent away from their families.
Port Hedland, which is also used by Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting, handles shipments of about $150 million worth of iron ore per day. Disruptions to BHP's operations could affect the company's daily revenue by about $80 million.
