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Fair Work Commission News

18 Sep 2023

Chevron's Strike-hit Australia LNG Facility Resumes Full Production

Credit: Chevron Australia (file photo)

Chevron said on Monday full production had resumed at its strike-hit Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Western Australia after a fault last week cut production by about one-fifth.Wheatstone and the nearby Gorgon facility account for over 5% of global LNG supply, and the fault and the strikes did not affect scheduled deliveries, Chevron said, with shipping data on LSEG Eikon also showing exports from Wheatstone were unaffected.Chevron said on Monday full production…

23 Aug 2022

Shell, Unions Reach Deal to End Strike at Prelude FLNG

(Photo: Shell)

Shell and unions representing workers at its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility have reached a wage deal to end a long-running strike and restart production at the site off northwest Australia, they said on Wednesday.Shell shut the 3.6 million-tonnes-a-year Prelude facility in July and told customers it would be unable to supply LNG for the duration of the protected industrial action, or strikes approved by Australia's Fair Work Commission, over a wage dispute."Shell is pleased to confirm an in-principle Enterprise Agreement has been reached with the Australian Workers’ Uni

18 Aug 2022

Shell's Giant Prelude FLNG Unit to Remain Shut for Longer as Pay Dispute Continues

Unions at Shell Plc's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) site off Australia have extended industrial action to Sept. 1 over a long-running pay dispute, the company said on Thursday. Shell shut down the 3.6-million-tonne-a-year site in July and told customers it would be unable to supply LNG cargoes for the duration of work stoppages approved by Australia's Fair Work Commission, or Protected Industrial Action (PIA). "We can confirm it's been renewed until Sept. 1," a Shell spokesperson said of the protected industrial action. The work stoppages began on June 10 and no cargoes have been shipped from the site in about five weeks, worsening a global LNG supply crunch amid the Ukraine conflict.

08 Aug 2022

Shell Delays Prelude LNG Maintenance Due to Industrial Action

Shell Plc said on Monday it is deferring planned maintenance work at the Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility that was due to go ahead in September because of industrial action at the site off northwest Australia."As a result of the ongoing Protected Industrial Action and inability to complete preparation work, we are not able to proceed with the planned turnaround at this time," a Shell spokesperson said in emailed comments.She said the extensive maintenance work, called a turnaround, would be put off to next year, with the timing to depend on a range of factors including weather conditions, contractor availability…

26 Aug 2015

HPA Clarifies Stand on Industrial Dispute, Communications to Staff

Hutchison Ports Australia (HPA) says it remains committed to negotiating a resolution to the current industrial dispute with workers in Brisbane and Sydney. HPA also wishes to clarify some of the reporting to date, including the financial challenges being faced by HPA and the process around the text message and emailing communications to staff on August 6. The company issued redundancies to 87 staff only after careful consideration of the current business conditions and following extensive consultation. HPA has invested $700 million in the Australian operations since June 2013 and made an $87 million loss for the 2014 calendar year. The company has been incurring substantial losses in Australia after finding it extremely difficult to break into the current duopoly in the Australian market.

10 Aug 2015

Brisbane Port Picket over Sacked Workers Continues

A picket of Hutchison ports in Sydney and Brisbane has entered fourth day after the Maritime Workers Union vowed to continue defying a Fair Work order to cease industrial action. The picketers say that the power to the site has been cut in a bid to move them off. At least 29 unions have been picketing the Hutchison Ports Australia site since the company sacked 97 workers in Brisbane and Sydney via text message and email four days ago, reports The News. Maritime Union of Australia Queensland state secretary Bob Carnegie says the company has now cut power to a substation near their site to try to break the picket. “That’s the sort of animals we’re dealing with,” he told picketers. Protesting workers have refused to unload the cargo ship to arrive at Hutchison Port operations.

08 Oct 2014

Stop Work Call at Australian Ports

A 4-hours stop work meeting has been formally notified by the MUA at the PB Towage operations at the ports of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle on Friday 10 October. This comes after PB Towage and the respective maritime unions failed to reach a settlement on the renewal of the PB Towage Enterprise Agreement. Negotiations are continuing, with the unions due to report back through the Fair Work Commission on Monday 13 October.

26 May 2014

MUA Condemns Proposed Changes To Stevedoring Award

The Maritime Union of Australia has condemned a raft of recommended changes to the modern award covering stevedoring - including increased hours and the removal of penalty rates – proposed by the nation’s major container port companies. Patrick Stevedores, Qube, and DP World recently filed a joint submission regarding the award covering stevedoring, which is under review as part of the four-year review of modern awards by the Fair Work Commission. MUA Deputy National Secretary Mick Doleman said, taken as a whole, the raft of proposals represented an outrageous attack on the rights of workers. "This set of proposals represents Patrick, Qube, and DP World enthusiastically throwing their weight behind the federal government's assault on workers," Mr Doleman said.

20 May 2014

Australia Aims to Avert Port Strike

Teekay Shipping took part in Australian government-sponsored mediation talks on Tuesday to avert industrial action by tugboat operators that could halt a quarter of global seaborne iron ore exports. There were no immediate comments on any outcome from the talks. BHP Billiton has previously warned that a strike by tugboat operators at Port Hedland on the Indian Ocean could cost up to $100 million in lost revenue each day. Deckhands, engineers and masters of the tugboats that guide vessels in and out of the port are pressing operator Teekay Shipping for more pay and leave. Deckhands, represented by the Maritime Union of Australia, last week approved plans to strike for one, two or seven days but have yet to decide whether to stop work. Any strike by them would have to take place by June 11.

12 May 2014

Possible Tug Strike in Port Hedland

Photo courtesy Port Hedland Port Authority

Negotiations continue between Teekay Shipping and unions representing tug crews at Port Hedland in a bid to resolve the issue of enterprise negotiation agreements, GAC said in its daily Hot Port News report. The Fair Work Commission has granted permission to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), the Australian Maritime Officers Union (AMOU) and the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers (AIMPE) to hold protected action ballot orders. The MUA ballot will conclude today, May 12, and the AMOU and AIMPE ballots on May 30 and June 10, respectively.

12 May 2014

Tugboat Workers Back Australian Ore Port Strike Plan

Tugboat workers at Australia's biggest iron ore port have approved a plan to go on strike, which would halt a quarter of the world's iron ore exports, if they are unable to resolve a dispute over leave and pay, their union said on Monday. Deckhands in the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) voted to strike for one, two or seven days, but remain in talks with tugboat operator Teekay Shipping Australia to resolve the dispute, the union said. No date or timeframe has been set for a strike, which would halt iron ore shipments by BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group. Together they supply more than half of Australia's iron ore exports. "Industrial…

08 Apr 2014

Possible tug strike at Port Hedland

which possibly could lead to industrial action. to do the same. deal. five week voting period after ballots were posted out on Friday. (4 April). of construction equipment for new mine projects and port expansion.