Workers begin vote on all-out strike at Chevron’s LNG facilities in Australia

Last updated on August 24th, 2023 at 07:15 am

Chevron, an American multinational energy corporation, may face an all-out strike at Australia’s second largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, Gorgon LNG Plant, because workers started voting on Friday for a union ballot.

Last week, Australia’s labor regulator allowed labor unions to vote on strike action at Chevron’s Wheatstone platform. The move gave employees the chance to secretly vote.

The Fair Work Commission, the Australian industrial relations tribunal, said that employees at Chevron’s downstream Wheatstone facility and its Gorgon facility can conduct secret ballots for strike action.

The ballot at Gorgon and the Wheatstone downstream facility must be closed by August 24 at the latest, as reported by Reuters. Another ballot for the Wheatstone offshore platform must be closed by August 28 at the latest.

After conducting the vote, the labor union can decide with action that must take place within 30 days. They can take decisions like short work stoppages, bans on work, and an all-out strike. 

Reportedly, the Offshore Alliance urged employees to vote for all of the demands on the secret ballot. The workers were reportedly seeking higher wages and improved working conditions.

According to a source with knowledge of the matter, labor unions will consult members before taking any decision. 

Recently, Chevron (CVX.N), Woodside Energy Group (WDS.AX) and Australian unions met to stop potential industrial action over wages and working conditions at Australian facilities.

However, employees at Chevron facilities, Gorgon, Wheatstone platform and Wheatstone downstream said that they would take action on this matter. They agreed to vote on potential industrial action. 

The Offshore Alliance also confirmed that members at the Chevron sites would begin voting over the potential strike action. 

Australia is one of the largest exporters of Liquefied natural gas. Woodside Energy Group, an Australian petroleum exploration and production company, operates the biggest LNG plant at North West Shelf in Australia.