BHP workers to proceed with strike after talks fail, union says
Hundreds of workers at BHP's Port Hedland iron-ore operations are set to down tools on Thursday after workers and their elected representatives did not reach agreement with the company, a spokesperson for the Combined BHP Ports Union said.
Port Hedland is a major artery through which BHP routes around $80-million of iron-ore a day, and the action represents the largest at BHP's operations in at least three decades, as unions look to secure a toehold in Australia's iron-ore regions.
"Today workers at BHP and their elected representatives conducted a five-hour bargaining session ... No agreement was reached," the union spokesperson said.
"It is the intention of workers and their representatives to proceed with protected industrial action notified for Thursday 16 July."
The unions have called for the action, an eight-hour work stoppage set for July 16, after six months of negotiations that have failed to reach an agreement on terms for a four-year labour deal. The action is set to run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. (06:00 to 14:00 GMT).
Given positive progress on Tuesday, BHP said in a statement to Reuters that "it is disappointing the unions have decided to proceed with their planned industrial action on Thursday."
“As with all potential disruptions to our business, we have plans in place to ensure operations can safely continue,” it added.
The parties will resume negotiations on Tuesday, July 21, the statement from the union added.
BHP will report its quarterly results on Thursday.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
We partner growth of our select clients through our comprehensive and competitive integrated international logistics, trade finance and information...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Sika South Africa is a trusted partner for the nation’s infrastructure, commercial, residential, and industrial sectors.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
