Offshore Alliance members at Woodside’s LNG facilities off Western Australia’s north west coast will meet today to discuss an in-principle agreement reached with the company late last night by their negotiating team.
If members endorse the outcome it will leave Chevron as the sole operator in the WA gasfields without an enterprise agreement (EA) with its workforce. Workers at Shell’s LNG facilities secured an EA this time last year after 76 days of protected industrial action. Workers at INPEX secured a deal with the union earlier in 2022.
Representatives of over 150 members on Woodside’s offshore LNG platforms Goodwyn Alpha, North Rankin Complex and Angel Platform off the coast of Karratha will meet at 7am to decide whether to endorse the deal after a marathon 15 hour meeting yesterday concluded early this morning at the Woodside offices.
The Offshore Alliance is an alliance between The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).
Offshore Alliance spokesperson, AWU WA Secretary Brad Gandy, said it’s positive that Woodside has reached this point without having protected industrial action.
“It’s pleasing that Woodside has made our members a strong offer without industrial action being taken,” says Mr Gandy.
“Offshore Alliance members were at all times prepared to take whatever action necessary to secure an industry standard enterprise agreement.
“Despite the lengthy road to this point, we are relieved that Woodside has now taken a more pragmatic approach and decided to offer our members an enterprise agreement with industry standard terms and conditions.
“Offshore Alliance members working at Woodside will now vote on whether to endorse the agreement and also whether plans to provide Woodside with a notice of industrial action will be withdrawn.
“If Offshore Alliance members at the Woodside NWS Platforms accept this deal it will leave Chevron as the sole operator in the WA gasfields without an Enterprise Agreement with its workforce.
“However, we don’t think Chevron will be alone in that endeavour for long.
“Protected action ballots of Offshore Alliance members working for Chevron close today, the results of which will give Chevron some insight into how dissatisfied its employees are with negotiations up to this point.
“We do hope Chevron isn’t going down the same road as Shell who reached an agreement this time last year but only after losing an estimated $1.5 billion in lost production due to 76 days of protected industrial action.
“Offshore Alliance members at Chevron simply want an industry standard enterprise agreement, that gives them say on rosters to ensure they’re family friendly, job security provisions to prevent them being replaced by low-wage contractors, and a transparent classification structure which allows them to progress on objective criteria,” said Mr Gandy.
Workers at Chevron downstream services and Gorgon will return their ballot later today regarding whether they are prepared to take protected industrial action and Chevron Wheatstone platform members on Monday the 28th.
