Woodside Energy has reached settlement with three Australian maritime unions on the Australian crewing of an LNG vessel.
The settlement with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union – Maritime Union of Australia Division; the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers; and the Australian Maritime Officers Union preserves a job for Australian-resident seafarers within the maritime business delivering LNG to clients throughout Asia.
The settlement will assist employment of round 70 Australian-resident seafarers on an LNG provider inside Woodside’s chartered fleet. The crew might be employed by the vessel’s contracted Crew Manager, ASP Ship Management Pty Ltd, primarily based in Melbourne.
Under the settlement, the maritime unions will cooperate absolutely with Woodside and its contractors in sustaining maritime operations at Woodside’s operated North West Shelf Project and Pluto LNG Project.
The continued funding within the improvement of strategic maritime abilities covers the interval from April 2024 to the top of March 2029 and units a path for a extra enduring relationship, topic to Woodside’s aspirations to develop its LNG operations in Australia being realised.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill stated the settlement would assist the safety of provide that underpins Woodside’s popularity globally as a dependable provider of LNG, whereas additionally offering employment alternatives for Australian-based seafarers.
“This agreement reflects our shared interest with unions in ensuring continued opportunities for employment across all aspects of the LNG industry, including shipping, and recognises the Australian Government’s interest in strengthening maritime supply chains,” she stated.
The National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia Paddy Crumlin stated: “LNG shipping has provided many Australian seafarers with rewarding and fulfilling employment, working in the national economic and strategic interest of all Australians, for many decades. The skills and employment base that the LNG trade provides our industry cannot be understated, and we look forward to building on this and offering more Australian workers the chance to pursue a life at sea.”
The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers Federal President Martin Byrne welcomed the settlement and stated the events have additionally agreed to carry additional discussions in good religion with an intent to discover increasing the settlement throughout future marine operations. “This is an agreement which lays the foundation for long-term future cooperation in the offshore maritime sector,” he stated.
The Australian Maritime Officers Union Executive Officer Mark Davis stated: “The continuity of employment for highly skilled and experienced LNG ships’ officers will benefit all parties to the new arrangement and the opportunity for new trainees to gain international gas ship experience will be invaluable.”
