ELECTRICAL workers servicing BHP’s Pilbara operations have voted in favour of protected industrial action, with the Electrical Trades Union warning the dispute could escalate to stoppages affecting the miner’s export chain through Port Hedland.
The ETU confirmed the ballot result in an official statement, describing it as the first protected‑action vote against a major Pilbara operator in decades. The union said the move followed more than a year of attempts to negotiate a baseline enterprise agreement for high‑voltage electrical workers who maintain critical power and ore‑handling systems across BHP’s network.
ETU WA state secretary Adam Woodage said the vote reflected growing frustration among members.
“This is the result of hubris by BHP,” he said. “Our members perform difficult, specialist, high‑risk work, yet their conditions depend on the whim of individual managers.”
The union said workers were currently employed on “wildly disparate individual contracts” and were seeking a fair, transparent and consistent agreement, including clear pay structures, recognition of on‑call and travel time, and objective career progression.
Under the protected‑action framework, the ETU has formally notified BHP that members may implement a series of escalating measures, including bans on issuing permits, bans on new switching programs, overtime and on‑call bans, and restrictions on high‑risk work.
The union has also authorised work stoppages ranging from 15 minutes to 48 hours, with five days’ notice required for any action.
Mr Woodage said the union wanted to be a “force for peace in the Pilbara” but would escalate if necessary.
“We have set clear escalation points. If BHP continues to refuse to negotiate, our members are prepared to act,” he said.
The ETU emphasised that no action would be taken where safety was at risk.
The dispute has significant implications for BHP’s supply chain. Electrical workers maintain the high‑voltage systems, conveyor electrics and automated loading equipment that underpin the miner’s Port Hedland export operations, which handle more than 280 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Even short stoppages could disrupt ship‑loading schedules and stockpile management.
BHP has previously said it does not expect operational impacts from initial bans, but unions argue the company has underestimated the strategic importance of the workforce involved.
The campaign forms part of a broader resurgence in Pilbara industrial activity, with unions signalling a willingness to challenge long‑standing individual‑contract arrangements across the region’s major operators.