Union action at Gorgon LNG

Workers employed by engineering, procurement and construction conglomerate the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company on Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia have voted in favour of taking strike action at the project.

According to local media, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, and the Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union reported that 94 percent of the more than 1,000 members involved in the secret poll voted to take industrial action over work at the already delayed project. However, a Chevron spokesperson claimed that only around 750 members voted in favour of the strike.

Labourers on the project – the largest single resource development in Australia’s history – are now cleared to stage a walkout, provided they give seven days notice. Demands of the two unions are for more “family friendly” working schedules.

They are pushing for a working timetable of 20 days on, with 10 days off, instead of the current one that sees those employed at Gorgon working 26 days for every nine days they have off. “Workers are prepared to spend two-thirds of their time on Barrow Island,” Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union state secretary Steve McCartney has said.

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