Offshore workers have reached an in-principle agreement with Woodside Energy to end a pay dispute, but negotiations with Chevron Australia remain unresolved.
European gas prices spiked in recent weeks amid concerns about possible strike action at the massive operations off Western Australia’s northwest coast that supply world markets.
"It's pleasing that Woodside has made our members a strong offer without industrial action being taken," said Brad Gandy of Offshore Alliance, a grouping of the Australian Workers Union and Maritime Union of Australia.
Woodside had taken a pragmatic approach and decided to offer members at the Woodside North West Shelf Platforms an enterprise agreement with industry standard terms and conditions, Mr Gandy said.
An industry standard enterprise agreement gives workers a say on rosters to make them more family friendly, job security provisions to prevent them being replaced by low-wage contractors, and a clear classification structure for moving up the ranks.
Later on Thursday, Woodside said it had reached an in-principle agreement with the alliance that will "support the ongoing provision of safe and secure energy supply" to WA and international gas customers.
The next step is for the enterprise agreement to be finalised and then voted on by employees and approved by the Fair Work Commission.
“We will continue to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue with all of our people as we work together to finalise the agreement," Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said in a statement.
But alliance members at the Gorgon and Wheatstone fields have now voted in favour of taking industrial action if they aren't offered an industry standard enterprise agreement.
This is despite Chevron Australia's stated commitment to bargaining in good faith and working to achieve an outcome in the interests of employees and the company.
A Chevron spokesman had told AAP the proposed enterprise agreements delivered significant value for employees and would take effect as soon as operational, if supported.
Negotiations are continuing.
