What comes next after the landmark BHP strike?

What comes next after the landmark BHP strike in Port Hedland? Sat 18 Jul 2026 at 10:02am This week's BHP workers' strike in the Pilbara was billed as the most significant industrial relations dispute in Australia's resources sector in decades, which could cost tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue and royalties. On Wednesday, unionised staff in Port Hedland walked off the job for an eight-hour strike. But the number of workers who put down tools wasn't as high as expected, and BHP's operations continued with ships loaded during the protected industrial action. So was it scaremongering by the mining lobby? Was the union strike a fizzer? And critically, what does it mean for the Pilbara's industrial landscape going forward? Here's what we know. How many workers on strike? Before the strike, unions had been talking about up to 200 workers joining in. The resources sector is putting out a figure of 63 who actually did. The ABC's estimate at the time of the walk-off put the crowd at more than 100, including union officials and supporters. "It's clear and apparent that unions are out of step with workers," Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CMEWA) chief executive Aaron Morey said. Electrical Trades Union (ETU) state secretary Adam Woodage was having none of it. "No, not a fizzer at all. Every electrician walked off the job," he said. What impact does the strike have? BHP has played down the impact of the strike and pointed to seven ships being loaded on Thursday, including during the eight-hour work stoppage from 2pm to 10pm. One of those ships, the Liberian-flagged Iron Southern Cross, has now left Port Hedland on schedule, headed to Qingdao in China. BHP is also disputing union claims to delays at one of its huge iron ore rail car dumpers at the port. Unions estimated the strike could cost BHP $50 million or more in lost revenue and the CMEWA was warning of an economic hit in the tens of millions of dollars. "Did they take a financial hit? Probably not," Mr Woodage is now saying. "Was it an impost on them? Most certainly. They had to reschedule staff to work an afternoon shift, which no-one's ever done at BHP for many years since they got rid of eight-hour days. "The aim of the game was to send to BHP a very strong message that our members want BHP to get serious, and get serious about negotiations, and put real tangible figures in an EBA document that represents real value that they are currently worth." While she had not had a full briefing, WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said: "There are incidents that occur, storms, weather events, that often impact [potentially] the loading of iron ore ships." Meetings upcoming After months of failed negotiations, it's back to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) next week to discuss the union's claims for equal pay and transparent progression as part of a union-negotiated enterprise agreement. That is a direct challenge to the individual contracts and non-union agreements favoured by industry and that have been dominant in the Pilbara for decades. With so much at stake, there are no guarantees this strike will lead to concessions or a breakthrough at the FWC. On Tuesday, the two sides are due at a bargaining meeting with the FWC over the Port Hedland dispute. On Thursday, an FWC bargaining meeting is scheduled between BHP and the ETU over BHP's high-voltage power grid workers in Newman who have now also voted in favour of work stoppages. BHP said: "Our focus remains on making constructive progress towards fair and reasonable agreements." "We are committed to continuing to bargain in good faith on new workplace agreements across our iron ore operations and believe that the involvement of the independent Fair Work Commission is the most constructive way to achieve the best outcome," the miner said. The ETU was hoping the strike would pressure a shift from BHP. "We anticipated that BHP might revise their position and not continue down the tone-deaf path that they have so far in bargaining," Mr Woodage said. "BHP should be able to clearly understand our claims. They're not difficult." After the FWC bargaining meetings, the ETU will go back to its members for instructions on what to do next. Mr Woodage said that could mean further negotiations through the FWC, direct talks with BHP or "they might instruct us they wish to participate in more strike action". What are the broader implications? Alexis Vassiley, a lecturer in work and employment relations at Edith Cowan University, said there had not been a strike at BHP since 2000, with what the CME calls "a model of direct collaboration between workers and the companies" largely the norm. Dr Vassiley said this strike had broken that mould. "It broke the drought of industrial action in the Pilbara. The last time it happened anywhere in the iron ore industry was Rio Tinto train drivers in 2008," he said. "For decades and decades and decades, not only have workers not been taking industrial action, but there also hasn't been union influence over pay and conditions. "So if there were to be a successful enterprise agreement negotiated at BHP ports, that would be the first time that has happened outside of train drivers in decades and perhaps could set a precedent." Dr Vassiley said power dynamics could change. "It's not one individual negotiating up against a multinational corporation; rather, it's a group of workers negotiating collectively," he said. "There's a very long way to go, but one outcome could be that there becomes more of a collective voice for workers and more of a say at work for workers at BHP ports." Scaremongering denial Dr Vassiley predicted a potentially long union campaign involving more industrial action. "It seems that is the way workers can pressure the company," he said. The CMEWA's Aaron Morey claimed that could impact workers' wages. He also denied he had been scaremongering on the financial impact of the strike and maintained international investors were watching. "Irrespective of the number of people who got involved, you cannot deny that this has an impact on productivity,"he said. "And nothing is more important when it comes to wages. "If we continue to challenge productivity in this way, it's going to be harder and harder to achieve the wage increases that workers deserve." Mr Woodage, from the ETU, tried to hose down suggestions strikes could now break out across the Pilbara in other mining companies. "No, because the ability to take action is a rigorous process through the Fair Work Act and we're not at that process with any other miner in the Pilbara," he said. [Image text:] ONE ONE FIGHT. .AMWU AMY