Mining | Oil | Gas | | Woodside workers face $40m fines - Woodside workers face $40m fines Oil and gas gi... | My Resources

Woodside workers face $40m fines

alt

Oil and gas giant seeks prosecution

More than 1500 fly-in, fly-out workers being prosecuted over a strike at Woodside Petroleum's Pluto gas project in Western Australia face fines of $28,000 each.

Woodside contractors have taken the action before the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) over a series of strikes that ended in January at the $12 billion Pilbara project.

Union and non-union workers are being prosecuted individually and could face fines totalling more than $40 million.

The workers were protesting against “modelling” plans at the Gap Ridge accommodation camp in Karratha.

The plans involved fly-in, fly-out workers having to pack up their belongings and move to a different unit, or donga, after each work trip, rather than keeping a permanent unit to come back to.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) WA construction division secretary Kevin Reynolds said the case was listed for mediation before the Federal Court in September.

The union was not directly involved in the strike but had arranged lawyers to represent around 210 members who could face a maximum fine of $28,000 each, he told AAP on Wednesday.

“We think it's atrocious in a democracy like Australia that workers are prosecuted to this extent for taking any form of industrial action.

“But that's the nature of the governments we live under today, be it Labor or Liberal, they're all the same,” Mr Reynolds said.

The legal action was putting tremendous pressure on individual workers and their families, many of whom did not have $28,000, he said.

Woodside on Wednesday declined to comment on the contractors' action before the ABCC.

It is taking separate action against the CFMEU over a strike in December over the motelling issue.
AAP