BHP Bracing for Strike After WA Port Workers Vote for Industrial Action

Workers from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Electrical Trades Union at BHP's Port Hedland port operations voted on June 11, 2026 to authorise an unlimited number of work stoppages ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, with action possible as early as next week after five days' notice is given. The 450 workers involved are maintenance staff at the port, which handles more than 290 million tonnes of iron ore annually and accounts for over 60% of Australia's iron ore exports. Unions say BHP's global net profit after tax has averaged approximately $439,600 per worker over the past five years — nearly three times the average AMWU member's salary — and argue workers deserve a greater share amid a cost-of-living crisis. BHP stated it has contingency plans to maintain safe operations and said its focus remains on reaching an agreement that preserves industry-leading pay and conditions. Industry bodies including the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Minerals Council of Australia condemned the action, warning of severe economic and reputational damage, while Resources Minister Madeline King and WA Premier Roger Cook both affirmed workers' legal right to take protected action. Labour historians describe the potential strike as historic, with no comparable protected industrial action in the Pilbara since Rio Tinto train workers walked off in 2008. The ETU noted a bargaining meeting with BHP is scheduled for later in June, leaving a narrow window to avert the stoppage.