Electrical workers at BHP’s Port Hedland bulk port terminal are preparing to vote on potential work stoppages after half a year of unsuccessful contract negotiations with company management, according to a Friday statement from the Electrical Trades Union.
The union characterized the six-month negotiation period as involving company representatives who either lacked authority to reach agreements or showed unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussions.
According to the union, workers are attempting to address major inequalities in their employment terms, as they were brought on under vastly different common-law contracts through two distinct legal entities that are both controlled by BHP.
The Electrical Trades Union represents over 70,000 electricians, apprentices and electrical workers throughout Australia, based on information from the organization’s website.
Workers are also pursuing clear job classifications and advancement criteria, along with equal compensation for employees doing identical work.
“Union members are left to resort to protected industrial action as the only way forward when BHP managers fail to negotiate after multiple meetings,” stated Electrical Trades Union WA Secretary Adam Woodage.
Woodage further noted that BHP workers throughout the Pilbara region have experienced a consistent pattern of conduct that has made lawful protected industrial action their sole remaining option.
Port Hedland ranks among the world’s largest iron ore loading facilities and stands as Australia’s biggest such port. The facility connects to several BHP mining operations throughout the Pilbara region.
BHP has not yet provided a response to Reuters’ request for comment.
