BHP Port Hedland Workers Strike Over Pay and Conditions

Approximately 200 workers at BHP's Port Hedland Bulk Export Terminal in Western Australia launched an eight-hour strike on July 16, 2026. Organized by the Combined Ports Unions—a coalition of the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and the Western Mine Workers Alliance—the action is the first major industrial dispute in the Pilbara region in decades. Unions are demanding an enterprise agreement to replace individual contracts, seeking equal pay for equal work, transparent career progression, and wages up to $240,000 per year.

The dispute follows six to eight months of stalled bargaining. Union leaders accused the company of using "US-style stonewalling tactics," while BHP maintained it was pursuing a fair and competitive agreement. The company tabled a draft offer of a 16 per cent pay increase over four years, which unions rejected as "undercooked." Despite the strike, BHP reported record iron ore production of 264.7 million tonnes for the 2025-26 financial year.

While the strike was estimated to potentially cost BHP between $40 million and $120 million in lost productivity and revenue, reports indicated no immediate disruption to port operations or ship loading. Western Australia Premier Roger Cook expressed concern over industry disruption, and Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas criticized the action as unwarranted. BHP has sought assistance from the Fair Work Commission to mediate the dispute, though unions have dismissed the move as a delay tactic. A follow-up mediation session is scheduled for July 21.