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Woodside stands down rig workers to curb virus risk

Woodside stands down rig workers to curb virus risk

 

Australian oil and gas giant Woodside has stood down hundreds of offshore contract workers without pay, as it scales back staffing levels on rigs to reduce the risk of a coronavirus outbreak.

Union representatives for the workers on Woodside rigs off the north-west coast of Western Australia said the company had summarily stood down 410 contract workers on Friday. The number of job losses has not been verified by Woodside.

As big energy producers implement crisis-response plans to minimise the risk of an infection disrupting their workforces and imperilling the nation's power and fuel supply, Woodside boss Peter Coleman said the health and safety of staff and maintaining gas supply to customers were the company's highest priorities.

"To comply with expert health and government guidance we are reducing the number of people at our facilities and working with our contractors, suppliers and communities to minimise the impact of the pandemic," he said.

"This is not business as usual. We all need to be more agile, think differently and take the appropriate steps to get through this together."

One worker on board a platform affected by the cuts said the rigs would be run on a "skeleton staff" over the coming months, reducing the workforce on some platforms by more than 50 per cent in an effort to lower workforce density and minimise the risk of an infection.

"They've just dumped us, no sign of goodwill" said the worker, who asked not to be named.

"I'm a single dad, we have been living pay cheque to pay cheque and now I don't know when my next pay is going to be."

The Australian Workers Union and the Maritime Union of Australia responded angrily to the job cuts which came "without pay of any kind", saying it was in contrast to moves by its competitors, which sought to minimise the impact of coronavirus-response measures by providing additional flexibility and special payments.

"Today’s decision by Woodside is maybe the most heartless corporate response we've seen to the COVID-19 crisis to date,” AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said.

"To just bring down the axe on 400 workers without a whisper of consultation, or the suggestion of special arrangements, is unconscionable."

Woodside competitors including Shell and INPEX have made commitments to provide additional payments and flexibility in response to coroanvirus-related staffing cutbacks on their offshore platforms in recent weeks. Casuals and contractors at Shell continue to be paid 7.6 hours per day for their rostered on-duty period, the union said.

"The COVID-19 crisis is hurting all of us and changes will be necessary ... but how we respond is the measure of our decency," said Mr Walton, adding that unions will fight "tooth and nail" to get Woodside to the table.

A Woodside representative said the company was working with its contractors to maintain the ongoing employment of as many affected workers as practicable.

"We are considering a range of mitigations, which may include alterations to rosters and support for casual contractor personnel who may not otherwise be entitled to sick leave or payment from their contractor employer if affected by COVID-19," she said.

Source: smh.com.au

Published: 20-03-2020

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