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Category: Oil and Gas / Industrial Relations / Work

Proposed Esso strike stopped by Fair Work Commission

Wednesday, 7 Dec 2016 14:13:16 | Nicole Asher

The Fair Work Commission has put a stop to a planned strike by more than 600 Esso workers. (ABC)

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has issued an order preventing more than 600 Esso workers from striking indefinitely from Friday.

Unions had planned to strike over a long-running dispute about workplace conditions, including plans by the company to change the roster for offshore workers from a seven-day roster to a 14-day roster.

The Victorian Government appealed to the commission to terminate a bargaining agreement between Esso and its workers to stop the industrial action.

There were concerns the strike would cause a gas shortage in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales.

Australian Workers Union Victorian secretary Ben Davis said the unions would prefer to negotiate an outcome, but failing that they welcomed arbitration.

"The Fair Work hearing was on this morning and it has just handed down its decision terminating both the negotiations and the industrial action, so the industrial action will not occur on Friday," Mr Davis said.

"Both outstanding agreements and the issues that are outstanding will go to 21 days conciliation with Fair Work, followed if necessary by arbitration.

"[The FWC vice president] flagged that he would hand down his decision within 24 hours.

"But I think the bench was then made aware that contingency planning would need to be made by the regulators if a decision hasn't handed down by four o'clock, and I think the parties appreciate that."

Mr Davis said this was the only way to bring the dispute to an end.

"If we can't negotiate an outcome with Esso and we need to go to an arbitration, then we will," he said.

AustraliaPlus


 

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