Unions confirm new 24-hour strike against BHP

Ports unions set to hit BHP with 24-hour strike in Port Hedland Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 7:45am In short: Unionised workers at BHP's port operations in Port Hedland are set to strike again, after giving the miner the required five days' notice. The strike, the second by unionised workers at the Western Australian port within weeks, will take place over 24 hours. What's next? Workers will down tools on August 9 if next Tuesday's bargaining meeting before the Fair Work Commission fails to produce an agreement, following a 24-hour ship-loading ban the day before. BHP is facing renewed industrial action in Western Australia's Pilbara, with unions lodging notice of a 24-hour strike against the mining giant. Unions representing workers at BHP's operations in Port Hedland have lodged notice with the Fair Work Commission of the day-long action. Members of the combined Ports Unions — the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and the Australian Workers Union (AWU) — will down tools on August 9 from 5:30am if a renewed bargaining meeting scheduled for next week fails to result in an agreement. A 24-hour ban on loading ships will take place the day before. Unions said the planned action followed "glacial progress" in bargaining discussions between workers and the company in recent weeks. An eight-hour strike on July 16 attracted about 100 workers, union staff and supporters. But it resulted in minimal disruption to BHP's port operations, with seven ships loaded during the stoppage. Union representatives said the miner had plenty of opportunities to avoid another strike. "Despite our members negotiating for months, BHP continues to refuse to put forward an agreement that reflects the workers each day," AMWU WA secretary Steve McCartney said. "This action is the direct result of the company's failure to negotiate seriously." ETU WA secretary Adam Woodage said what BHP was proposing was not "fair or transparent". "The people who enable this company's exorbitant profits are sending a message with this action: We want an honest deal, in black and white, and we are not going to entertain what the company is pushing," he said. BHP has described the strike action as "disappointing" and has asked the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to oversee a negotiated outcome. "BHP is frustrated by the lack of progress in bargaining and concerned about the lack of genuine engagement from the unions in bargaining meetings," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We have shared our concerns directly with the union and asked them to provide greater clarity and detail around what they are proposing. "Should we need to, we will seek further assistance from the Fair Work Commission to ensure we can reach a fair and reasonable agreement as quickly as possible." Warning of threat to economy The latest notification comes after unions and BHP again failed to come to an agreement at Tuesday's bargaining meeting. The meeting did not include the participation of the FWC, although it is expected the next bargaining meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday, will be before the commission. The strikes have prompted criticism from WA's Chamber of Minerals and Energy, which has described the return of industrial action to the Pilbara as a threat to the national economy. Millions of dollars worth of iron ore leave Port Hedland each week, with a 24-hour stoppage potentially costing BHP $120 million in lost revenue, and the WA government $6.85 million in royalty payments. A poll commissioned by the ETU and released earlier this week claimed the majority of voters supported workers at the port who took industrial action. The survey of 1,503 people, conducted by YouGov, found 71 per cent supported workers taking strike action at Port Hedland. [Image text:] ONEFIGHT. ONS TEAM