Industrial action at BHP Billiton Limited's (ASX:BHP) Queensland mines is heating up as workers fight for more job security and pay rises. According to Fairfax Media more than 400 BHP workers have started strikes at the global miner’s coking coal mines after failed talks between the company and its employees.

Thousands of workers at one of the world’s biggest gold and copper mines started returning to work Wednesday, ending a nearly two-week strike that brought operations to a standstill. Union chief Sudiro, who goes by only one name, said the decision was made after Freeport-McMoRan’s management agreed to reinstate six fired labor leaders and reopen negotiations about wages and benefits on July 20.

Rio Tinto has awarded $45 million in new railway signalling and communications contracts to international rail infrastructure group Ansaldo STS.

Mining equipment maker Joy Global, Inc. (JOYG: News ) is close to acquiring Chinese coal-mining equipment maker International Mining Machinery Ltd. (ICMHF.PK), according to Bloomberg on Wednesday.

Reuters reported that Scorpio Mining's (TSE:SPM) second quarter silver recovery doubled. Continue reading... Image by Scorpio Mining

An Australian coal company at loggerheads with a Brazilian-based partner over a central Queensland mine will seek damages in the Federal Court.

A shortage of large haul truck tyres is coming soon. Prices on the spot market have already topped $90,000 in some parts of the world, according to one recent article.

On only the second day of trading in Western Potash Corp. common shares on the main board in Toronto, investors were already abandoning the stock in droves. The junior player in Saskatchewan’s potash industry ended Wednesday down 5.5% after an analyst downgraded the stock. Western Potash is in the pre-feasability stage of its Milestone Project in the south of the province where it hopes to mine almost a billion tonnes of potash using steam.

Strikes are looming in South Africa's gold and platinum sectors which could threaten global supplies at a time when commodity prices are red hot. South Africa's powerful National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Wednesday wage talks with the country's main gold miners were deadlocked and it was preparing for a strike.