Electricians powering BHP’s mines in the Pilbara will push for pay rises that ratchet their salaries up to $250,000 a year in a fight for a potentially standard-setting deal, just as rail technicians launch a new front against the mining giant to force it into a union agreement.

The Electrical Trades Union applied for orders against BHP late last week on behalf of about 170 rail maintenance workers to get the mining giant to the bargaining table on grounds that most workers want an agreement.