Mining giant BHP has announced 300 job cuts from its Pilbara iron ore operations, with unions branding the move a “senseless attack” on workers.
Mining giant BHP’s plans to axe 300 jobs are being labelled a “senseless attack” by the unions following a series of strikes.
BHP announced on Wednesday it will cut hundreds jobs from its iron ore mines across Western Australia.
The WA Electrical Trades Union state secretary Adam Woodage said the cuts were a “senseless attack”.
“This is another sad reflection of a once-great Australian mining company that has lost its way and forgotten its values,” Mr Woodage said.
BHP expects about 300 operational roles will go from its Pilbara-based sites at South Flank, Mining Area C, Newman and Jimblebar. Picture: Supplied BHP
“The fact that this has been announced in the media flouts the requirement to consult with workers and their representatives before taking an action like this.
“The ETU’s engagement in that consultation will be robust, and we will require the company to provide proof that every redundancy is genuinely required.”
A Pilbara-based partnership of the Australian Workers Union and the Mining and Energy Union – the Western Mine Workers Alliance – says BHP has begun “major structural changes”.
BHP says workers were told about the 300 job changes on October 5, as were the unions.
The miner expects about 300 operational roles will go from its Pilbara-based sites at South Flank, Mining Area C, Newman and Jimblebar.
Iron ore prices are down 14 per cent over the past year, and have lost 6 per cent in the past month.
A BHP spokesman said like any business they regularly reviewed how they worked to ensure they could continue to operate safely, effectively and productively.
“We are making some changes to ensure our WA iron ore business can continue to make a significant contribution to the Pilbara and WA and continue to be a major employer in the state,” a spokesman said.
“As we always do, we will seek to redeploy people into other roles elsewhere in the business where possible.
‘We will be working directly with our people on what this change means for them.”
BHP has announced major job cuts at its Pilbara iron ore operations. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards
BHP is currently working through the proposed changes and engaging with people affected by the process.
The mining giant produced almost 257 million tonnes of iron ore last year.
The company employs about 16,000 people across its WA iron ore mines.
Iron exports up
Data from shipping tracker Kpler shows BHP exported 74.30 megatonnes of iron ore from WA in the September quarter, up 5.5 per cent year-on-year and the highest fiscal first-quarter volume on record.
“A series of industrial actions involving port and maintenance workers in July and August ultimately had little impact on quarterly shipments, highlighting BHP’s ability to mitigate disruptions through contingency staffing, scheduling and catch-up loadings,” Kpler commodities analyst Zhiyuan Li said this week.
BHP signed a deal with China’s state-owned. Picture: Supplied BHP
Mr Li described a “standout” recovery at Jimblebar.
“Shipments surged 28 per cent year-on-year to a record 15Mt, compared with 8.10Mt in the June quarter and just 2.16Mt in the March quarter.
“Around 14Mt was shipped to China, also a record, indicating that Chinese demand for the grade has fully recovered following the restrictions imposed between September 2025 and early 2026.
“At the same time, shipments to non-Chinese customers, particularly Vietnam, continued to increase,” he said.
BHP’s rival Fortescue faces a squeeze from China’s state-owned central purchasing agency, the China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG), which is trying to lower costs for Chinese steel mills.
But BHP and Rio Tinto have signed deals with the CMRG.
BHP will hold its annual general meeting in Sydney on October 22.
