According to SteelOrbis, BHP’s iron ore miners at the Port Hedland operations plan to continue their scheduled strike after the latest round of negotiations between the company and unions failed to reach an agreement. As reported by Reuters, workers and their representatives were unable to reach an agreement during a 5-hour negotiation session held on July 14 and plan to proceed with a protected industrial action on Thursday, July 16.
This industrial action will include an 8-hour work stoppage from 2 pm to 10 pm local time on July 16, following about six months of negotiations over a 4-year labor agreement.
Negotiations to Resume
The union stated that an additional negotiation session with the participation of the Fair Work Commission of Australia has been scheduled for July 21. BHP expressed its disappointment with the unions’ decision to continue industrial action, despite positive progress in the latest negotiations. The company added that it remains committed to negotiating in good faith and has contingency plans in place to ensure the safe continuation of operations in the event of disruptions.
The outcome of the July 21 negotiations will be decisive in determining whether further industrial action will be pursued after the scheduled strike on July 16.