About half of the 450 workers at BHP's Port Hedland terminal walked off the job earlier in July. (Terry Keating/AAP PHOTOS)About half of the 450 workers at BHP's Port Hedland terminal walked off the job earlier in July. “This action is the direct result of the company’s failure to negotiate seriously,” Australian Manufacturing Workers Union WA state secretary Steve McCartney said. About 577 million metric tonnes were exported from Port Hedland in 2024/25, worth an estimated $115.8 billion. The Electrical Trades Union, the Western Mine Workers’ Alliance (Australian Workers Union), and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union are involved in the industrial action.