More workers join strike at BHP’s Port Hedland iron ore operations
More workers joined a strike at BHP's Port Hedland iron ore operations in Western Australia on Sunday, marking the first major industrial action at the hub in a quarter-century, according to a union spokesperson. The strike began at 5:30 a.m. on the second of the planned two-day stoppage, involving around 150 workers, or about 100 more than the previous day.
The combined three unions of the Combined BHP Ports Unions represented some of the more than 800 workers at the port. This followed a 24-hour halt in ship-loading on Saturday. Despite the strike, BHP continued to load vessels, shipping approximately $80 million worth of iron ore daily through the port. The next step is expected to be resuming negotiations on August 18, aiming for a four-year bargaining agreement with BHP, the world's third-largest iron ore miner.
The strike, the first of its kind since 2000, proceeded even though progress was made in the talks on Tuesday. It is anticipated that the action will not impact rival miners Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting, both of which also utilize Port Hedland. The hub contributed to 75% of iron-ore exports from the Pilbara region of Western Australia in the year ending June.
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