Hundreds to strike at mining giant’s crucial port today

Hundreds of workers will down tools and walk off the job today at mining giant BHP’s critical Port Hedland export terminal in Western Australia, in the first protected strike action in the company’s iron division in more than a quarter-century.

A five-hour sitdown between unions, BHP and the Fair Work Commission failed to produce an enterprise agreement, meaning 200 workers will continue with planned strike action between 2pm and 10pm AWST.

It could cost the mining giant up to $50 million.

The union says it is seeking fairer work conditions, including guarantees of equal pay for equal work, transparent career progression processes, and working conditions to be set out in the enterprise agreement.

Since de-unionising in 1999, BHP has negotiated with workers in what advocates call “direct engagement” – coming to individual agreements with particular workers.

This can mean some workers are paid more than others despite doing the same job.

“Our members are seeking for an equal playing field in their workplace,” Adam Woodage of the Electrical Trades Union Western Australia told 9News.

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Hundreds at crucial mining site to go on strike after talks break down

“The members have had enough of working alongside each other when there’s a pay discrepancy.”

“The workers have had enough, they’re stepping up, and they’re fighting back,” Woodage said.

BHP recently became the most valuable company in Australia, with a market capitalisation of more than $307 billion.

The mining giant said it was disappointed industrial action would proceed, but maintained it had plans in place to keep operations at its Port Hedland terminal running smoothly.

The company has about 450 staff employed at the site, of whom 200 will partake in the strike.

WA Premier Roger Cook last week told reporters he was disappointed talks had failed, but said workers deserved fair compensation.

State opposition leader Basil Zempilas said he was “really and genuinely concerned”.

“I know that BHP will be able to withstand one day’s strike action, but how do we know that is all this is going to be?” he said.

“There will come a time if doing business in Western Australia becomes too difficult, that they will say, it’s too hard now, we’ll go and do it somewhere else.”

The last strike action in BHP’s iron ore division took place in the year 2000.

Footage of that strike shows workers in violent clashes with police, and multiple arrests.

Woodage maintained today’s action would be different.

“It will be friendly, it will be inviting, and there will be no-one going to jail,” he said.