PERTH - Workers at BHP Billiton's coking coal mines in Queensland's Bowen Basin will go on strike for a week from Thursday, after the company failed to win them over with its latest offer to resolve a long-running dispute over wages of contract employees and work schedules.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Friday evening served notices of the industrial action stating that with over 80 per cent workers supporting the move, it will strike work again from Thursday next week.

BHP seized on the fact that support for its latest offer to the union has increased to 17.3 per cent from just 7.8 per cent during the first ballot in October last year.

Earlier this week BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser launched a scathing attack on the Federal Government's industrial relations policy, citing the company's eighteen-month dispute with its Queensland coal miners as an example of unacceptable union power.

But unions countered the charge to say the company is provoking the dispute in an attempt to rid itself of an organised workforce.

In a secret ballot called for by the company itself, a resounding 83 per cent of employees voted to reject the company's latest offer.

CFMEU mining general secretary Andrews Vickers says the vote is evidence that the company, not unions, who are out of touch with the workforce.

Vickers rejected Nassar's charge of the government's industrial relations policy costing Australians jobs, BHP however contends that part of the dispute is over managerial prerogatives as such on some of the issues the company "can't compromise on, not now, not ever".

One of the issues is whether contractors should be paid the same rate as permanent employees of the company and labour hire employees.

BHP's operating company said in a statement that it was disappointed by the union vote and understood the need for more work to explain its offer.

BHP workers at the Queensland state have been staging rolling work stoppages for almost a year as they battle with the global miner over work schedules.

A BHP spokeswoman said further industrial action was "unnecessary and would be harmful for all concerned".

"We are focused on finalising an agreement and will resume discussions to complete the agreement as soon as possible," the spokeswoman said.


BHP had already declared force majeure on shipments from the mines as it struggles to meet supply contracts. Force majeure is a legal manoeuvre releasing companies of immediate supply obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.

In total, the mines under the partnership have an output capacity of more than 58 million tonnes a year, representing about a fifth of annual global trade in metallurgical coal.