‘Worst possible time’: Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA lashes union for strike threats against Inpex

The State’s resources lobby has taken the Offshore Alliance to task for threatening strikes and stoppages at Inpex’s Ichthys LNG operations, telling workers their pay packets are already big enough. Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA chief Aaron Morey accused the Australian Workers Union and Electrical Trade Union of “deliberately and aggressively pursuing industrial conflict at the worst possible time” the day after the alliance applied to the Fair Work Commission to vote on protected industrial action. He said the union was pushing salaries “well above half a million dollars in a sector where pay is already amongst the highest in the country”. “It’s a union-driven cash grab that doesn’t pass the pub test at a time when our gas is helping secure fuel and fertiliser for the nation,” he said on Thursday. Ichthys opened in 2018 and has capacity to produce up to 9.3 million tonnes of LNG a year, though the vast majority is exported to customers in Japan. Gas from the Ichthys field is then fed to onshore facilities for processing near Darwin via an 890km pipeline. The Offshore Alliance on Wednesday said it made the application due to growing frustration among 400 skilled workers after six months of failed negotiations with employer Inpex over the terms of a new enterprise agreement. The union wants pay rises and guarantees of job security over fears they may be replaced by contractors, arguing Inpex has deep enough pockets to fork out for pay rises. The Japanese energy player’s Senior Vice President Corporate Bill Townsend said the offer on the table for workers “is fair and competitive”. “INPEX’s preference remains to reach agreement without disruption, and the company continues to engage in the bargaining process.” The Offshore Alliance has threatened industrial action as early as May 3 if members get behind a vote set to be held in the next few weeks. Ichthys leads the $60b LNG operation with a 67.82 per cent interest alongside major partner TotalEnergies which has a 26 per cent stake. CPC Corporation Taiwan, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric Power, JERA and Toho Gas also have minor stakes.