BHP Port Hedland Workers Strike Over Four-Year Wages Deal

Approximately 150 workers at the BHP Port Hedland Bulk Export Terminal will conduct strike action on August 8 and 9, 2026, following a dispute over a proposed four-year wages agreement. The industrial action includes a 24-hour ban on loading ships on Saturday and a 24-hour work stoppage beginning Sunday at 5:30 am AWST, with high voltage and power workers adding a further 12-hour stoppage on Sunday.

Unions, including the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and the Australian Workers Union, accuse the company of deliberate stonewalling and proposing a false floor agreement. BHP has offered a 16 percent pay increase over four years and maintains that the strikes only delay a fair and reasonable deal.

The shutdown threatens significant financial losses, with BHP facing potential revenue drops of $120 million per day and the Western Australian government risking nearly $7 million in royalties. The parties are scheduled to meet with the Fair Work Commission on August 18 to resolve the dispute.