‘I won’t listen to the Premier’: Union leader Brad Gandy declares as last-ditch talks fail to stop BHP strikes

The senior Labor figure spearheading historic strikes against BHP has told Premier Roger Cook and any other political colleagues hoping for an end to the militant industrial action to get stuffed. A last-ditch, five-hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon between BHP and a coalition of unions — the Australian Workers Union, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and Electrical Trades Union — failed under the supervision of the Fair Work Commission. The collapse of the talks means a highly disruptive strike is locked in for Thursday at Port Hedland, BHP’s sole WA iron ore export gateway. In an effort to shed the thug reputation that has alienated them from the mining industry since the early 2000s, the unions are dialling up a public relations offensive for their Port Hedland action, which will involve about 160 to 200 workers. Roughly 400 workers in total, including any strikers, are scheduled to be on shift. The unions’ family-friendly demonstration outside BHP’s port facility while workers down tools is set to feature a community barbecue, face painting, and a bouncy castle. Despite the soft optics, the stakes are incredibly high. The scheduled eight-hour work stoppage on Thursday represents the first large-scale industrial action taken in WA’s critical iron ore industry in three decades and it is poised to put a direct dent in the State’s coffers. Premier Cook has said he does not support strike action and instead wanted the unions and BHP to negotiate an outcome to the dispute. But AWU WA secretary Brad Gandy, who sits on the 14-member WA Labor administrative committee alongside the Premier, made it clear he has no intention of listening to the government should they want to intervene. “There have been calls this week for powerful political figures to put pressure on the AWU and other relevant unions regarding our members’ scheduled legal industrial action in the Pilbara,” Mr Gandy told The West Australian. “Let me be emphatic: the only people I’ll be listening to regarding this matter are AWU members and members within our formal (union) alliances. “I represent members and their best interests, members who are working hard in the red dust of the Pilbara, and they’re the only voices I’ll be listening to — not the Premier or ministers.” WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti on Tuesday urged both sides to negotiate in good faith while playing down the potential impact on State finances, which is estimated to be a loss of roughly $7 million in royalties per day of strike action. That $7m figure is the equivalent to the annual salaries of about 50 senior public sector nurses. The State Government’s hands-off approach so far drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, who accused Mr Cook of being an “apologist” for militant unions. “Investors around the world are watching this return to the bad old days of union strong arm tactics that we saw in the 80s and 90s,” Liberal leader Basil Zempilas said. “They are questioning whether this is still one of the best places in the world to do business. “Roger Cook cannot stand by while unions send the message that union muscle matters more than WA’s economic reputation.” Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA chief executive Aaron Morey was even more scathing, accusing the unions of manufacturing a crisis. “The conflict is being whipped up by unions whose only concern is justifying their return to the Pilbara after decades of industrial harmony that made WA an economic powerhouse,” Mr Morey said. “Bargaining is progressing before the Fair Work Commission and should be allowed to run its course.” A BHP spokesman said it was “disappointing” that the unions decided to proceed with Thursday’s strike despite “positive progress” at the Tuesday meeting, adding that contingency plans are in place to “ensure operations can safely continue”. The mining giant has declined to reveal whether those plans involve using strike breakers, though unions remain confident they have the numbers to severely disrupt scheduled ship loading. BHP on Monday took its dispute to the Fair Work Commission to dispel union “myths” that the company was not negotiating in good faith. “We appreciate the Commission acting quickly to enable discussions to continue,” the BHP spokesman said on Tuesday. “We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and believe involving the commission is the most constructive, transparent and fair way to achieve the best outcome.” BHP’s next formal bargaining session with the unions, again under FWC supervision, is scheduled for next Tuesday. But further strikes could be in motion before that meeting, with union organisers set to descend on BHP’s port on Friday to rustle up support for more industrial action. The union alliance has not revealed its exact wage demands but they are gunning for a deal significantly higher than the 16 per cent pay rise over four years accepted earlier this month by workers at BHP’s massive Area C and South Flank mines. The AWU had dragged BHP to the negotiating table for that landmark MAC-South Flank enterprise bargaining agreement, but then urged workers to hold out for a richer deal. Ultimately, the majority of workers who voted accepted BHP’s offer, which leaves Port Hedland workers as the tip of the spear for the union’s aggressive push back into WA’s iron ore heartland. Many of the electricians and specialised operators who are taking part in the Port Hedland strike are already on more than $200,000 a year. The majority, about 80 per cent, of BHP’s Port Hedland workforce are not FIFO workers and instead live locally. The CME estimates that some frontline workers will be on more than $400,000 a year if the unions get their way. BHP ships about $120 million worth of iron ore through Port Hedland a day. Port Hedland is Australia’s busiest iron ore port, with more than $115 billion worth of the commodity shipped from the port each year, making it WA’s most lucrative export by a considerable margin. Fortescue and Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill are major users of Port Hedland and their broader mining operations have already been in union cross-hairs.