Construction unions have for the first time secured a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster for fly-in-fly-out workers in the Pilbara in a landmark deal they will push to extend to the rest of the resources industry.

UGL agreed to the short swing as part of an in-principle greenfields deal for Chevron’s Gorgon carbon project on Barrow Island, which is expected to start construction of drill centres next month and employ 150 workers at its peak.