Chevron Applied to End Strikes With Labor Commission

Chevron has applied to Australia’s Fair Work Commission for intractable bargaining declarations for the Gorgon and Wheatstone downstream facilities and the Wheatstone platform which will be heard by the Commission on Tuesday, a FWC spokesperson said.

• Under new rules in force since June, parties in an employment dispute in Australia can apply to the commission for an intractable bargaining declaration after they have held negotiations for at least nine months, or under some other conditions.
• If the declaration is approved by the industrial relations tribunal, Chevron's unionized workers at the plants would be prohibited from legally taking any form of industrial action and workers would need to wait for the FWC to impose a new agreement.
• “Throughout the process to date, we’ve made generous, good faith offers and concessions,” the Chevron spokesperson said. “The unions are asking for terms significantly above the market.”
• Industrial action has started on Friday with stoppages of up to 11 hours per day until 13 September before increasing to 24-hour stoppages on 14 September for two weeks.
• No further talks were scheduled between the unions and the Chevron, according to the website of the Fair Work Commission, which had mediated five days of negotiations.