Worker strikes at Australian miner BHP's Port Hedland iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA) did not prevent a loaded vessel from leaving port early on 17 July, despite earlier union threats to pause shipping.
About 63 of 200 eligible workers opted to strike between 14:00 to 22:00 AWST (06:00 to 14:00 GMT) on 16 July, a BHP spokesperson said on 17 July. More than 1,000 workers were on site that day.
Every electrician at BHP's port operations participated in the strike, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) WA secretary Adam Woodage said on 17 July. Other unions involved at the port, including the Western Mine Workers Alliance (WMWA), and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), may not have taken part.
BHP has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement (EA) with its Port Hedland maritime workforce since October 2025, which will cover around 450 employees, excluding contractors.
The unions last met with BHP on 14 July to discuss wages and working conditions but failed to reach an agreement. Their next enterprise bargaining meeting is scheduled for 21 July, the combined port unions said on 14 July.
Port Hedland is the world's largest bulk iron ore export port and a key export hub in BHP's WA iron ore supply chain. BHP produced 291.2mn t of iron ore on a 100pc basis from its WA operations in the fiscal year from July 2025-June 2026, according to its latest full-year operational review released on 16 July. All of BHP's WA iron ore is exported through Port Hedland.
