Looming BHP sparkies strike to be ‘the first of many’ in the Pilbara, Electrical Trades Union warns

The union spearheading looming strikes at BHP’s iron ore mines warns they will be “the first of many” to sweep through WA’s resources heartland. Electrical Trade Unions WA secretary Adam Woodage fired a shot across the bow of the State’s biggest miners and energy companies, flagging that he has thousands of members at his disposal who could down tools. Mr Woodage was speaking to media in front of BHP’s Perth office on Thursday after 39 high-voltage workers who maintain the electrical network powering BHP’s WA iron ore operations voted for protected industrial action on Wednesday. The historic ballot, which ends about four decades of industrial peace in the Pilbara, covers about 60 workers. Work stoppages “lasting between 15 minutes and 48 hours” are being threatened unless BHP capitulates to the ETU’s demands. The ETU is demanding large pay rises and a large catalogue of extra allowances, including $20,000 for nightshift work, $7000 for working in hot weather and a $6240 BHP contribution for private health insurance. They also want 200 per cent penalty rates for overtime and 300 per cent for public holiday work. “This [BHP industrial action] will be one of the first of many to occur in the Pilbara,” Mr Woodage said. He added that strikes would “likely” start soon and any prospect of fuel shortages would not be a factor in pulling the trigger on industrial action. The ETU has to give BHP five business days of notice before going ahead with a strike. “We’re over 6800 members, and that is in all industries — from lifts to mines to oil and gas construction,” Mr Woodage said. “However, we are willing to be a force of peace in the Pilbara with companies that want to negotiate and achieve fair, reasonable outcomes for our members.” The Chamber of Minerals and Energy has estimated the ETU’s salary demands and allowances would “effectively double” annual pay to about $400,000 per worker. Mr Woodage refuted that estimate, and claimed the true figure was approximately 40 per cent less — equating to $240,000 a year. Yet, a social media post by the ETU lists one of the union’s demands as “base salaries up to $249,000 a year by 2028”. An ETU spokesman in response said Mr Woodage was referencing a 42-hour a week roster while the social media post referenced a 48-hour a week roster. BHP said it has “strong contingency plans in place” to deal with a strike but Mr Woodage said he’s “confident” industrial action would hurt the miner. The ETU’s move is the latest escalation of a broader union campaign to regain a foothold in the Pilbara’s iron ore mines after a period of dormancy since the 1990s. Unions have been increasingly emboldened by the Albanese Government’s changes to industrial relations laws, particularly lax rules around “right of entry” requests. Industrial Relations Minister Simone McGurk played a straight bat when asked about the ETU’s threats to BHP. “I would urge the parties to reach agreement,” she said. Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said Premier Roger Cook needs to “send the strongest possible message” that union activity which “disrupts” the state and nation’s economy “will not be tolerated”.