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Chevron Australia and unions representing workers at the company’s Wheatstone and Gorgon liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities will meet for talks October 11 after an industrial arbitrator was brought in to help close the deal between the two sides. This comes just days after unionized workers on October 6 threatened to restart strike actions against the gas and energy giant.
According to Reuters, the unions and Chevron are scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. AWST on October 11 (10:30 p.m. EST on October 10) for talks with Bernie Riordan, the commissioner of Australia’s Fair Work Commission (FWC).
Read more: Chevron Australia Workers Back Latest Strike Threat
Previously, Riordan helped broker an in-principle agreement between the two sides during a meeting held in September that ended weeks of strikes at the facilities. However, efforts to turn the suggestions made during that meeting into a binding agreement fell apart during the week of October 3 after the unions accused Chevron of reneging on its commitments.
The unions came out on October 9 and said they would resume strike actions October 19.
Chevron originally pursued legal actions with the FWC after contract negotiations between the company and the unions broke down September 8. Prior to the talks breaking down, Chevron had been negotiating with workers, alongside Woodside Energy, over improved benefits such as higher wages and better working conditions. However, hundreds of workers at the facilities began holding short strikes with two weeks of 24-hour strikes taking place after September 7 following the breakdown of contract talks.
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