David Marin-Guzman

BHP is facing union pressure from the west of the country to the east after it failed to stop orders forcing it to negotiate pay with critical workers at its massive coal export hub in Queensland.

A Federal Court judge said there were serious questions to be tried over prominent practitioner Richard Albarran, who allegedly had a secret interest in a predatory lender.

A dozen major firms have agreed to bargain for the sparkies’ union’s multi-employer agreement despite warnings of major cost increases.

The threat of more disruption comes as the industry fears decades of industrial peace is over after the region’s first strike in a generation.

The AMWU has put out a paper saying it will campaign to charge “free-riding” non-union members a bargaining fee if they are covered by union agreements.