Adds comment from Altrad spokesperson in paragraph 3
Members of Australian LNG workers' union the Offshore Alliance (OA) that are employed by companies owned by engineering firm Altrad are undertaking protected industrial action (PIA) at Chevron Australia's two LNG facilities.
About 140 gas maintenance workers began rolling stoppages and work bans today because of dissatisfaction with negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, the OA said. The PIA can occur for 30 days from when the results of a union members' ballot was declared on 2 October, and may be extended if agreed by the Fair Work Commission.
Altrad remains committed to the continuing bargaining process, a spokesperson for the firm said on 10 October, promising to "continue to seek an equitable outcome to negotiations" in the interests of employees and Altrad.
Workers are demanding union rates and conditions on every offshore and onshore oil and gas facility, the OA said, promising to push back against baseline workplace agreements presently in place.
Striking staff include technicians, scaffolders, riggers, painters and plasterers working for Altrad at the Chevron's 8.9mn t/yr Wheatstone LNG and 15.6mn t/yr Gorgon LNG facilities in Western Australia state, as well as Wheatstone's offshore platform. Chevron Australia is aware Altrad employees have started industrial action, but said no impact to production are expected.
"Given the nature of the work undertaken by Altrad and the mitigations in place, it is not anticipated there will be any impact to LNG and domestic gas production nor to any critical business activities at our facilities," a Chevron spokesperson said on 10 October.
The dispute comes almost 12 months after Chevron reached an agreement with the OA — formed by the Australian Workers' Union and Maritime Union of Australia — on three deals regarding pay and conditions at its LNG terminals and upstream facilities.
