Australia’s BHP iron ore worker talks hit deadlock

: Metals
26/09/15

Bargaining talks between Australian mining firm BHP and unionised workers at the company's Port Hedland iron ore export operations have reached a deadlock after the parties failed to reach an enterprise agreement (EA) at their 15th bargaining meeting.

Workers and union representatives at BHP's Port Hedland operations have formally rejected an EA proposal put forward by the company at the latest bargaining meeting on 15 September, the combined port unions — the Electrical Trades Union, Australian Workers Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union — said today.

The unions will ask workplace umpire, the Fair Work Commission (FWC), to declare the bargaining intractable and arbitrate a final agreement after almost a year of negotiations failed to resolve significant material issues between the parties, union representatives said.

The intractable bargaining process can take 12-18 months to reach an outcome, a BHP spokesperson said today. The company said its proposal would simplify pay structures for workers, but the unions argued that it would leave 40pc of covered employees worse off.

BHP has been formally negotiating a new EA with its Port Hedland maritime workforce since October 2025, which will cover around 450 employees, excluding contractors. Workers held industrial action on 16 July and 8-9 August.

Port Hedland is the world's largest bulk iron ore export port and a key export hub in BHP's Western Australian (WA) iron ore supply chain. BHP produced 256.9mn t of iron ore from its WA operations in the July 2025-June 2026 fiscal year. All of BHP's WA iron ore is exported through Port Hedland.

By Emma Partis

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