MELBOURNE, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Unions at BHP’s Port Hedland operations in Western Australia have not agreed a wage deal with BHP, a union spokesperson said on Tuesday, setting the stage for a two-day strike at the world’s top iron ore export hub at the weekend. “The meeting was productive, and while substantive issues are yet to be resolved, the parties have identified a path forward which we will pursue over coming weeks,” a spokesperson for Combined Ports Unions said in a statement. Industrial action will still proceed on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, as previously indicated, the union said. The action, at BHP’s operations is not expected to affect other parties operating at the port.
BHP will present an updated proposal at the next meeting on August 18, BHP said in a statement.
“With another meeting scheduled and an updated proposal to come, we have made significant progress with the Commission’s assistance and there is no need for the unions to continue with their planned industrial action,” it said.
(Reporting by Sneha Kumar and Rajasik Mukherjee in Bengaluru, and Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue)
