Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonali Paul
A plant decorates the booth of Australian petroleum exploration and production company Woodside Energy during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 13, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
SYDNEY, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Woodside Energy (WDS.AX) said on Thursday it had not received any notice of strikes at Australia’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility and flagged “substantial progress” was made during the latest talks with unions.
Unions representing the offshore platform workers at Woodside’s North West Shelf operations have threatened to strike as early as Sept. 2 if their terms over wages and working conditions are not met.
Woodside met unions on Wednesday for a key round of talks to avert any industrial action, which could range from short work stoppages and bans on certain tasks to an all-out strike.
The company said the parties had reached in-principle agreement on a number of issues but declined to specify.
“Substantial progress was made at talks held on Wednesday,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Woodside continues to engage actively and constructively in the bargaining process.”
The Offshore Alliance, which combines the Maritime Union of Australia and Australian Workers’ Union, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment outside normal business hours.
Any disruption to work could slow the exports of the super-chilled fuel from Australia, the world’s biggest LNG exporter, which would force Asian buyers to outbid European buyers to attract cargoes.
Dutch wholesale gas prices extended early losses on Wednesday, driven by strong inventories though potential strikes at Australian LNG plants were also in focus.
The union alliance is also balloting Chevron (CVX.N) workers on possible industrial action at the U.S. major’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG operations. The first round of results from there are due on Thursday.
North West Shelf along with Gorgon and Wheatstone together supply about 10% of the global LNG market.
Unions in Australia are required by law to give companies seven working days’ notice before any industrial action but the union can also elect to call off any action before then.
About 99% workers at North West Shelf have already backed industrial action, but the unions have not yet called for a strike.
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