Gorgon industrial action averted

Protected industrial action on Chevron’s USD 54 billion Gorgon LNG project has been averted, with contractor CB&I agreeing to more “family-friendly” rosters for construction workers.

Hundreds of workers building the giant LNG project endorsed CB&I’s offer of a 23 days on 10 days off roster, according to a statement by the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union.

“The Western Australian branches of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) applied for a protected action ballot after months of negotiations with CB&I failed to offer any significant change to the 26 days’ on 9 days’ off construction roster,” the statement said.

Workers were initially seeking a roster of 20 days’ on and 10 days’ off.

AMWU WA Branch Secretary Steve McCartney said today was a historic day.

“Workers on Gorgon have secured the most family-friendly construction roster to date,” according to McCartney.

Chevron said recently it will likely miss its year-end target to ship the first liquefied natural gas cargo from its Gorgon project on Barrow Island.

The start-up of the Gorgon project was pushed back several times. The giant LNG project was originally budgeted at $36.7 billion and was expected to start producing the chilled gas at the end of the third quarter of 2014.

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LNG World News Staff; Image: Chevron Australia