Workers at the Japanese-owned Inpex gas operation have walked off the job after weeks of negotiations on pay and conditions stalled.<\/p>\n
Industrial action took place this morning at the Ichthys site, with a further two-hour work stoppage planned for this evening.<\/p>\n
The Offshore Alliance, a combination of the Australian Workers’ Union and the Maritime Union of Australia, has been pushing for better conditions and annual pay rises of 3 per cent.<\/p>\n
Industry lobby group Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) have said this would increase labour costs by 50\u201360 per cent and push the average Inpex salary to more than $500,000 a year.<\/p>\n
The Ichthys operation takes gas from offshore fields in West Australian waters, before it is sent to Darwin for processing via an 890-kilometre-long underwater pipeline.<\/p>\n
Workers at onshore and offshore facilities are taking part in the strike action.<\/p>\n
In a social media post, the Offshore Alliance said significant progress had been made in negotiations last week, but Inpex had “fallen short on a number of fundamental claims”.<\/p>\n
“A long way short, and our Inpex members have had enough,” the post said.<\/p>\n
“Protected Industrial Action ramps up today on all 3 Inpex facilities with stoppages of work and work bans.<\/p>\n
“Inpex are making billions off the blood, sweat and tears of their Australian operations workforce, and we will keep escalating PIA [protected industrial action] until Inpex agree to fair industrial outcomes.<\/p>\n
“If you don’t fight, you lose.”<\/p>\n
Production started at the Ichthys site in 2019, with up to 9.3 million tonnes of liquid natural gas processed at the site every year.<\/p>\n