Unions launch protest at Esso's Longford gas plant in Gippsland

ABC News
June 22 2017

Unions have set up a protest outside Exxon-Mobil's Longford gas plant in Victoria because of changes to maintenance contracts for hundreds of workers in the oil and gas industry.

UGL was recently awarded a five-year maintenance contract for Esso's onshore facilities and offshore platforms in Bass Strait.

But unions said workers were being told they had to sign up with UGL subsidiary MTCT Services at significantly lower wages, or risk losing their jobs.   

Australian Workers' Union Gippsland organiser Jeff Sharp said up to 200 people faced redundancies.

"They're offering the guys their jobs back but with pay cuts of between 15 per cent and 30 per cent," Mr Sharp said.   

The agreement also allows MTCT to introduce two week fly-in, fly-out rosters.

The union said the reduced wages and conditions were being forced in because contractors who worked for MTCT Services in Western Australia voted to support the deal.

"They only need three people to do this. They can create an agreement that can apply nationally where the people who work under the agreement have no say in their conditions," Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union organiser John Webb said.

    "This is hazardous work, with potentially a very dangerous site."

Unions have accused the company of undermining the Fair Work Act by removing the opportunity to bargain for a fair wages outcome for contractors. 

"They're miles and miles behind. Their rosters have been decimated offshore. It's being treated as a meat market," Mr Sharp said.
Similar tactics used by beer giant CUB, union claims

Unions have likened the latest dispute involving Esso to the Carlton United Breweries dispute that lasted 180 days in 2016.   

"Workers at CUB were able to achieve their fair wages and conditions through peaceful protest and that's our intention here," Mr Webb said.

Dozens of workers have set up marquees outside the plant and say they will stay there for as long as it takes for workers to be offered a better pay deal.   

MTCT Services has declined to comment.