Chevron Australia LNG unions stick to strike plan even as pay talks continue By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A normal view of Chevron’s Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen on this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout through REUTERS/File Picture

By Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Unions at Chevron (NYSE:)’s liquefied (LNG) services in Australia reaffirmed their plan to renew strikes this week as mediated talks continued on Monday, sparking indignant feedback from the corporate saying staff have been being unreasonable.

An in-principle deal that ended weeks of strikes in September fell aside earlier this month after unions stated Chevron had reneged on commitments and vowed to renew strikes on the Gorgon and Wheatstone websites, which provide round 6% of the world’s LNG.

Australia’s industrial arbitrator, the Honest Work Fee, mediated three days of talks final week and requested the Offshore Alliance to withdraw the strike plan whereas talks continued, Chevron stated.

As a fourth day of talks started, a consultant of the Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, advised Reuters the events have been aside on key points and Chevron would want to alter its place to keep away from strikes restarting.

The corporate stated unions continued to introduce new issues into the dispute and have been withholding settlement on different points pending member votes.

At Chevron’s request, the Offshore Alliance stated it held a poll over the weekend and 91% of members reaffirmed an earlier determination to renew strikes from Oct. 19, in response to a social media submit on Sunday.

“Members have made it clear that they need Chevron to cease twisting the draft phrases of our EBA’s (enterprise bargaining agreements) and are ready to ramp up PIA (protected industrial motion) till our EBA’s are correctly sorted,” the submit learn.

Chevron stated late on Sunday it was “extraordinarily disenchanted” by the vote to stay with the strike plan, in opposition to the arbitrator’s request.

“The union’s determination to disregard the advice … whereas discussions are persevering with may be very regarding, unreasonable and undermines the appreciable progress made previous to Chevron requesting the Fee’s help final week,” a spokesperson stated in an emailed assertion.