Planned industrial action comes amid 'glacial' progress in bargaining negotiations
Unionised workers at BHP's Port Hedland operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region have lodged a notice of strike action amid "glacial" progress in its talks with the mining giant.
Three unions, including the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and the Australian Workers Union (AWU), lodged the notice with the Fair Work Commission, ABC News reported.
According to the report, the industrial action includes a 24-hour ship-loading ban on 8 August, followed by another 24-hour stoppage on 9 August, starting at 5:30am.
High voltage and power workers who are also negotiating a separate agreement with BHP will also strike for 12 hours on 9 August.
"This action is the direct result of the company's failure to negotiate seriously," said AMWU WA secretary Steve McCartney, as quoted by ABC News.
The unions said the industrial action will take place if its renewed bargaining meeting scheduled for next week does not result in an agreement.
"The people who enable this company's exorbitant profits are sending a message with this action: We want an honest deal, in black and white, and we are not going to entertain what the company is pushing," ETU WA secretary Adam Woodage said as quoted by ABC News.
Unions are seeking enforceable wage and condition protections through a new enterprise agreement, Reuters reported.
Their planned strike action comes after weeks of negotiations with BHP, where unions lamented the "glacial progress in recent bargaining meetings."
They recently met with BHP on July 28, but no agreement was reached, according to Reuters.
"We have given ample opportunity for BHP to come to the table with a fair offer that addresses our members' concerns," said Western Mine Workers Alliance spokesperson Craig Beveridge, as quoted by the news outlet.
BHP 'frustrated' on bargaining progress
Meanwhile, BHP said the strike action was "disappointing," ABC News reported.
"BHP is frustrated by the lack of progress in bargaining and concerned about the lack of genuine engagement from the unions in bargaining meetings," a spokesperson said in a statement quoted by the news outlet.
"We have shared our concerns directly with the union and asked them to provide greater clarity and detail around what they are proposing."
"Should we need to, we will seek further assistance from the Fair Work Commission to ensure we can reach a fair and reasonable agreement as quickly as possible."
Port Hedland is one of the largest iron ore loading facilities in the world. Unions previously staged an eight-hour strike on July 16, which saw the participation of about 100 workers, union staff, and supporters.
