Woodside Energy has reached in-principle agreement with the Australian Workers’ Union and the Electrical Trades Union on an enterprise agreement regarding employees on its North West Shelf offshore platforms.
In-principle agreement was reached on all claims relating to remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment.
The next steps will be for the enterprise agreement to be finalised and then voted on by employees and approved by the Fair Work Commission.
The unions have committed to not filing a Notice of Protected Industrial Action while that process is underway.
Woodside CEO, Meg O’Neill, acknowledged the effort from all parties through the bargaining process and said the company was pleased to have reached in-principle agreement.
“We will continue to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue with all of our people as we work together to finalise the agreement and maintain the safe and reliable supply of energy to our customers.”
Offshore Alliance spokesperson, AWU WA Secretary, Brad Gandy, said Offshore Alliance members have overwhelmingly endorsed the improved terms and conditions in the proposed new agreement.
“Offshore Alliance members at Woodside will now have transparent classifications and career progression, roster certainty and job security,” Mr Gandy said.
“Roster changes and poor rosters in general can have an enormous impact on workers and their families.
“Once the agreement is voted up and approved, Offshore Alliance members at Woodside will have certainty around their future rosters because they must agree to any changes to rosters proposed by Woodside.
“Offshore Alliance members at Woodside are also now secure in their employment going forward as the agreement removes Woodside’s ability to contract out direct jobs to lower wage contractors.
“This is consistent with other agreements in the industry and is especially important in the hydrocarbons sector, where the contracting out of work and insecure employment has exploded in the past decade.”
