Unions to carry out 'rolling stoppages' at Chevron's Gorgon, Wheatstone LNG facilities in Australia

Australia's Offshore Alliance said Aug. 29 its members will be "participating in rolling stoppages, bans and limitations" as part of its protected industrial action at Chevron's three west coast facilities from Sept. 7.

In its Facebook page posted Aug. 29, the Offshore Alliance said it had formally notified Chevron late Aug. 28 to start the industrial action, which will "escalate each week until Chevron agrees to our bargaining claims."

In a separate statement Aug. 29, the Offshore Alliance said its "members at Gorgon, Wheatstone Downstream and Wheatstone Platform have each voted almost unanimously in favor of over twenty types of industrial action, including numerous work bans and complete stoppages of work."

"Offshore Alliance members at Chevron would prefer to have this matter resolved without the need for industrial action, but Chevron has given them little indication that it can be," Offshore Alliance spokesperson Brad Gandy said in the statement.

The Offshore Alliance's comments came after a Chevron Australia spokesperson told S&P Global Commodity Insights Aug. 28 that Chevron received notices for protected industrial action at its Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities in Australia for activities starting Sept. 7.

"While we don't believe that industrial action is necessary for agreement to be reached, we recognize 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," the spokesperson said.

"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."

Members of Offshore Alliance voted unanimously in favor of a protected industrial action at Chevron's Wheatstone platform, the Offshore Alliance said in its Facebook page posted Aug. 28.

The Offshore Alliance, the alliance of the Australian Workers' Union and members of the Maritime Union of Australia also voted in favor of going ahead with a PIA at the Wheatstone downstream and Gorgon LNG facilities in ballots that closed Aug. 24.

The Chevron Australia spokesperson declined to comment Aug. 28 on its impending proposed enterprise agreements for Chevron Gorgon and Wheatstone Downstream employees, with voting slated for Aug. 30-31. The company also did not clarify if the employees can go ahead with a PIA notice before the EA ballot takes place.

"The Alliance expects these non-union agreements to be overwhelmingly rejected," the Offshore Alliance said in the statement Aug. 29. "The result of the third and final ballot of members to endorse protected industrial action was published yesterday with 100% of members voting and endorsing protected industrial action at the Wheatstone Platform."

Chevron-operated Wheatstone is among Australia's largest resource developments and the nation's first LNG hub. The Wheatstone Project has a nameplate capacity of 8.9 million mt/year of LNG and a domestic gas plant, while the Gorgon Project comprises a three-train, 15.6 million mt/year LNG facility and a domestic gas plant.