Staff to strike at Chevron gas facilities in Australia

STAFF are preparing a series of rolling strikes at Chevron’s natural gas facilities in Western Australia, the company said on Tuesday, in a move set to unnerve global energy markets.

Chevron has been told the strikes will start Sept 7 on its Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities in Western Australia, a major international hub for natural gas production.

The company said it would “continue to take steps to maintain safe and reliable operations in the event of disruption at our facilities”.

“We will also continue to work through the bargaining process as we seek outcomes that are in the interests of both employees and the company,” it told AFP in a statement.

The Offshore Alliance, which represents union members, said the strikes would “escalate each week until Chevron agrees to our bargaining claims” and that the company’s efforts to date had been “inept and incompetent”.

Although Europe has largely replenished gas stockpiles disrupted by the war in Ukraine, there are fears that shortages and strong demand in Asia could rapidly put the squeeze on future supplies.

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Natural gas prices spiked across Europe earlier this month after staff threatened industrial action at offshore gas platforms owned by Woodside Energy in Western Australia.

Those strikes were averted after last-minute talks produced an agreement.

Australia is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of natural gas. AFP