Over 100 workers at Australian mining firm BHP's Port Hedland iron ore operations will vote in the coming weeks to authorise strike action, joining two other unions who have already voted to proceed with strikes at the port.
Members of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), which represents more than 100 workers at BHP's port operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA), have applied to workplace umpire the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to hold a ballot approving strike action, the union said on 18 June.
If successful, this will enable union members to legally take strike action. Subject to regulatory approvals, the ballot will take place in the next few weeks, Argus understands.
BHP has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement with its Port Hedland workers since October 2025, which will cover around 450 employees, excluding contractors, Argus understands.
Approximately 250 of these workers are represented by unions including the AWU, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU). Members of the ETU and AMWU have previously voted in favour of strike action, including work stoppages up to 24 hours at a time, in ballots with the FWC on 11 June.
Around 150 workers across the AMWU and ETU are eligible to strike, FWC records indicate. They are required to give BHP five days' notice prior to launching strike action, as per their applications with the FWC.
Port Hedland is the world's largest bulk iron ore export port and is a key export hub in BHP's WA iron ore supply chain. The firm produced 257mn t of iron ore in the fiscal year ended 30 June 2025.
If the unions shut down the firm's Port Hedland operations, it could cost the WA A$6.85mn ($4.82mn) in iron ore royalties per day, a BHP spokesperson told Argus. The company is also currently negotiating a new enterprise agreement with workers at its Mining Area C and South Flank iron ore operations.
