Electrical workers on BHP’s high-voltage network in the Pilbara have voted for protected industrial action, marking the first time a major mine operator in the region has faced such a vote in nearly 30 years.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) claimed the vote is a direct response to a year of stonewalling by the mining giant during negotiations for a baseline enterprise agreement.
The workers are seeking objective career paths and measurable progression, transparent pay adjustments to replace discretionary increases and formal recognition of travel time and time spent on call.
ETU West Australian Secretary Adam Woodage said the unions want to work with the mining companies but only if companies were willing to engage in genuine negotiations.
“Today’s vote is the result of hubris by BHP,” Woodage said.
“Their disagreement with the people who keep the lights on and the ore moving has reached this point because of a protracted, deliberate and short-sighted refusal on the part of the company to negotiate a reasonable, consistent agreement.”
Woodage argued that ETU members perform high-risk work but their basic conditions remain at the whim of individual managers who play favourites. However, BHP has refused to negotiate for the last 12 months.
“This refusal left workers with no other way forward than to pursue protected industrial action.”
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CME) has raised concerns about the action, labelling the union’s demands as unworkable and nonsensical.
CME Chief Executive Officer Aaron Morey warned that the dispute could tarnish Western Australia’s reputation as a reliable trading partner, drawing parallels to the volatile industrial climate of the 1970s.
“This is a dangerous turn for the Pilbara,” Morey said.
“The log of claims put forward by the ETU is not grounded in reality. It proposes total remuneration packages comparable to the WA Premier while also seeking to dictate rostering patterns and workforce composition. Simply put, the union’s demands are unworkable.”
While the vote allows for a range of action, including overtime bans and work stoppages lasting up to 48 hours, the union has pledged that safety-critical work will not be compromised.
