Workers at Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Western Australia are preparing for Protected Industrial Action (PIA), as announced by the Offshore Alliance (OA), a collaboration between the Australian Workers’ Union and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). This action will involve rolling stoppages, bans, and limitations that will begin next week.

The OA issued a formal notice of PIA to Chevron, confirming that the strike action is scheduled to start on Thursday, September 7. Around 500 alliance members will participate in these actions, which are expected to intensify each week until Chevron meets their terms.

The decision to proceed with the strike action follows a unanimous "yes" vote from all OA members across the three Chevron facilities. Workers at Chevron’s downstream services and Gorgon facility had their ballots returned by August 24, while those at the Wheatstone platform are expected to do the same by August 28.

The OA emphasized that the planned industrial action has the potential to impact Chevron's LNG exports significantly. The strike, if it goes ahead as planned, could pose challenges for Chevron's operational continuity.

In contrast, Australian energy giant Woodside managed to avert a potential strike by reaching an in-principle agreement with various unions, including the Australian Workers’ Union and the Electrical Trades Union. This agreement covers employees on its North West Shelf offshore platforms. The agreement will now undergo finalization and subsequent voting by employees and approval by the Fair Work Commission.

Chevron now stands as the only major operator of gas fields in Western Australia without a finalized enterprise agreement with its workforce. The strikes at Shell’s LNG facilities last year and the successful negotiation with INPEX's facilities earlier in 2022 illustrate the broader landscape of labor relations within the LNG industry in the region.