Employees of Inpex contractor strike over stalled negotiations on wages, conditions

EMPLOYEES of a contractor connected to Inpex’s LNG plant in Darwin went on strike on Wednesday after workplace agreement negotiations hit a wall

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EMPLOYEES of a contractor connected to Inpex’s LNG plant in Darwin went on strike on Wednesday after workplace agreement negotiations hit a wall.

Union organisers say negotiations with contractor Trace Broadspectrum, now owned by Ventia, on a new enterprise bargaining agreement had been progressing amicably for 10 months but the company is now refusing to budge on wages and conditions.

Electrical Trades Union NT organiser Dave Hayes said the affected workforce, all of whom are highly skilled Territorians, were being paid 10 to 20 per cent less than their counterparts in similar gas manufacturing plants around Australia.

Wednesday’s picket line involved about 60 people.

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“We’re trying to get these guys up to the industry standard in the way that they’re paid out there,” he said.

“What they do is a highly skilled job, it’s obviously a major hazard facility, so they’re experts in their trades ... and we know to attract the right people to do that work they need to be paid properly and recognised for the type of work situation that they work in.

“We’ve just got to a stage now where we’re talking about the money items at the end of the game and that’s where we’ve come to a bit of a sore part in the negotiations.”

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Mr Hayes said up to 180 workers were employed via Trace Broadspectrum to work at Inpex’s Ichthys LNG plant.

The protected stop work action will run for the entire day and could potentially extend into Thursday if required.

The next meeting between the unions and the company is scheduled for Thursday.

Ventia has been contacted for comment.

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