Overview
- Union members in the Offshore Alliance voted on Monday to escalate protected industrial action at Ichthys from four-hour to eight-hour stoppages and to add targeted work bans starting around June 11.
- In response, Inpex filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday asking for orders to stop the planned action and a hearing has been set before Deputy President Michael Easton on Friday.
- The industrial action has already interrupted some Ichthys LNG loadings and the project supplies about 10 percent of Australia’s LNG exports and a notable share of global supply.
- The unions say negotiations broke down after Inpex reneged on terms agreed during commission-facilitated talks and they have lodged a complaint with the offshore energy regulator alleging use of unqualified workers while seeking claims such as 3 percent annual pay rises.
- Power and Water Corporation says it has contingency plans to protect Northern Territory gas and electricity supply but Inpex warns further shutdowns would hit its LNG buyers and local domestic gas recipients as global markets remain tight because of recent Middle East disruptions.