Chevron receives industrial action notice

Offshore Alliance has given Chevron notice of protected industrial action across three facilities commencing September 7, as it ramps up negotiations over an enterprise bargaining agreement for workers.

The alliance – a partnership of the Australian Workers Union and the Maritime Union of Australia – balloted its membership at Gorgon and the Wheatstone offshore and downstream facilities in recent weeks and claimed all 500 of its staff across the three facilities backed protected industrial action.

That could include strike action. Chevron confirmed late on Monday that it had received notice from Offshore Alliance of an intention to act.

“We’ve received notices for protected industrial action at our Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities for activities commencing Thursday 7 September,” a Chevron spokesperson told Business News.

“While we don’t believe that industrial action is necessary for agreement to be reached, we recognise employees have the right to take protected industrial action and we will continue to take steps to maintain safe and reliable operations in the event of disruption at our facilities.

“We will also continue to work through the bargaining process as we seek outcomes that are in the interests of both employees and the company."

Ballots for Wheatstone downstream and Gorgon were finalised late last week, with the Wheatstone offshore vote finalised on Monday.

The move by Offshore Alliance comes hot on the heels of protracted negotiations with fellow LNG producer Woodside Energy, which resulted in an 11^th hour agreement between the pair.

At the time, Offshore Alliance spokesperson Brad Gandy highlighted that if its members accepted the Woodside EBA it would leave Chevron as the sole operator in the gasfields without an enterprise agreement.

Protected action against Chevron could see staff refuse to load LNG tankers or cease work completely.

Negotiations between the two parties remain ongoing. Chevron estimates its Western Australian facilities produce almost half of the state's domestic gas supply, with the company recently slightly increasing its domestic gas contributions from Wheatstone.