WA gas talks sour as European gas prices jump again
Offshore workers at Woodside Energy-run gas platforms off Western Australia may vote as early as Thursday on industrial action after critical talks with the company appear to devolve into acrimony.
A lack of visible progress at the negotiations between Woodside and the Offshore Alliance – comprising the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers’ Union – contributed to a renewed surge in European gas prices amid fears of industrial action that could disrupt Australian LNG output.
The Dutch TTF futures contract, a benchmark for European gas, rebounded 12.7 per cent on Tuesday European time. The contract spiked after three days of declines following an extraordinary surge last Wednesday that was triggered by fears of stoppages at three WA LNG plants.
The North West Shelf LNG plant near Karratha is the country’s biggest LNG exporter.
The Offshore Alliance accused a Woodside human resources boss of calling a union bargaining representative a “dickhead” during Tuesday’s talks, saying the behaviour showed the oil and gas producer’s values “are a sham”.
“If OA members on the platforms carried on like Woodside’s HR management did yesterday, they’d be on the first chopper out,” the Offshore Alliance posted on social media early Wednesday.
“It’s no wonder that bargaining on the Woodside platforms has gone pear-shaped and members have voted 99 per cent ‘yes’ in the protected industrial action ballot.”
But a Woodside spokeswoman was more positive on the talks, saying “positive progress” had been made, while declining to respond to the alleged comment.
“We continue to engage actively and constructively in the bargaining process,” she said.
“Positive progress is being made, and the parties have reached an in-principle
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