BHP iron-ore train drivers vote for 24h strike from Friday
Train drivers at BHP Group's Pilbara iron-ore operations in Western Australia have voted to strike on Friday for 24 hours, potentially cutting supply to the producer’s Australian export hubs.
Workers plan to carry out a 24-hour stoppage Friday under a campaign aimed at securing better working conditions and pay in an enterprise agreement, according to the Mining and Energy Union. The previous agreement, which covers about 500 drivers, was negotiated in 2014.
“Pilbara iron ore mine operators have had it their own way for a long time,” the union’s Secretary Greg Busson said in a statement. The workers had “been very patient and given BHP every opportunity to address their concerns,” he added.
BHP didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Its shares were down 0.8% to A$45.94 at 2:03 p.m. in Sydney.
In Australia, industrial action is a legal right under the Fair Work Act 2009. It can be triggered when bargaining for a new enterprise agreement fails or an existing agreement is out-of-date, according to the Fair Work Commission.
A typical train iron ore train comprises of four locomotives pulling around 270 cars carrying 38 000 t of iron-ore, according to the company’s website.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation