SYDNEY, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of workers from the Australian mining giant BHP went on strike on Thursday afternoon at the country's largest iron ore port amid a pay dispute.
Around 200 unionized BHP workers at Port Hedland in the northern Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA), one of the world's largest iron ore export hubs, joined an eight-hour work stoppage from 2 p.m. local time on Thursday.
The strike, described by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as the most significant industrial action in WA's mining industry this century, follows nine months of negotiations between BHP and unions on a new enterprise bargaining agreement for workers at the port.
A coalition of unions that represent BHP workers at Port Hedland said that the new agreement must recognize the specialist skills, difficult conditions and the significant personal cost for workers.
The strike coincided with BHP announcing on Thursday that its iron ore production hit a record-high of 264.7 million tonnes in the 2025-26 financial year.
"We finished the year strongly, delivering safe and reliable operations while setting several performance records across the business," chief executive officer Brandon Craig said in a statement. ■
