What do ya do

[Green X]

Stuck in the middle, Being a non union member.

I go to work i will be labeled a Scab and nobody will want to work with me.
Stay out I face fines and ERMS black listing.

what do ya do?? Well i opted to go out the gate, with the guys i have to work alongside. My view is you have to stand with the guys you work with.
After all that's what Australia is about, sticking by ya mates!!

I work on the Woodside Pluto LNG plant and if ya haven't herd, Let me tell ya what is going on.

Woodside Claims they need more accommodation and want 400 more rooms, to do this they are going to "Motel" room's. Woodside have the space to fit 400 more rooms in the Camp and they've had 5 years to plain this and knew how Manny people they needed mind you, and claim this is the new way in the North west.

I'v worked for Rio, Newmont, BHP and have never heard this talked about before.

What is the problem.
1. We spend 4 to 6 weeks on site at any one time with only 1 weeks R&R

2. Workers like to set there room up to be a bit like Home (Photo's of wife kids
Ect) Personal belongings ect, as some spend up to 9months a year living out of their room!! ( If you Motel rooms this carn't be done)

3. Woodside will not Guarantee the Safety of your belongings wile in storage when your on R&R.

4. They admit there may be problems with room availability in a "Motel" system and say it will be worked out (But don't say how).

5. What if i show up for work they stuffed there roster up and don't have a room for me What do ya do...(They don't say)

6. When do i pack my gear up, I have 45 minutes after work to have a shower and get on the bus to the airport ATM, will i be given payed time to pack my room or do i have to do it in my limited personal time between shifts? They don't tell us.

7. Hygiene, ya got 2200 workers swapping beds and rooms evry 4-6 weeks.

8. Even if there is only 100 people in the 2200 man camp you will still not be able to keep your room.

9. They say they have 1200 rooms available in another camp for people who don't want to "Motel" why do you need to motel if you have 1200 rooms up your sleeve???

Mining, Oil&Gas in the northwest has been running smoothly for the last 6-7 years and on the eve of the next big Boom and 4 weeks out from X-mass Woodside decide to drop this bomb right as the CFMEU and AMWU are looking for a fight befor gorgon.... What do they do, hand them one on a gold platter!!!!

We as workers were given one official notice about the new arraignment and were told there would be a meeting and time for questions and to raise concerns.

There was 1 closed door meeting then a statement was put out saying it will happen.
The union, CCi and woodside then had a meeting and woodside didn't budge or adress the major concerns. 1500 Workers voted to walk off the Job

The feel of most of the workforce is they are trying to take a right that was won over a decade ago away from us, and ya give them 1-inch they'll take 10-inches.

I can appreciate where a good % of the workforce is coming from and woodside has used this time of the year to try and bully there plain in. causing allot of extra stress and finical pain just when ya don't need it.

[BPXR6T]

Sleazy tactics from Woodside. I lived out of a motel room doing four day weeks on a site interstate for a couple of years and it was the pits. I had nowhere to leave personal belongings so had to travel light living out of my suit case.

[pottery beige]

Simple.. Out the gate for 48..

[Green X]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Simple.. Out the gate for 48..

haha, that's what has happened.

It's a wait and see what happens next now, will they come to the table, can it be worked out.


How much will we be fined, believe a maximum fine of $22,000 per person can be dished out.

[pottery beige]

It sound's like you guy's are being a little screwed over but at the same time i've seen a unionised workforce carry on like a bunch of sook's aswell.. It only take's a few hardcore militant's to fire up a workforce over no big deal.. I just take the cruisey number now day's and stick to maintenance.. Less pay but less hassle's!!

[Yellow Fire]

This might be a stupid question, but if you're not a union member do you care if they call you a scab?

[Green X]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

It sound's like you guy's are being a little screwed over but at the same time i've seen a unionised workforce carry on like a bunch of sook's aswell.. It only take's a few hardcore militant's to fire up a workforce over no big deal.. I just take the cruisey number now day's and stick to maintenance.. Less pay but less hassle's!!

If this keeps up i will be looking at going maintenance or jump onto a BHP or Rio expansion project. I was on my way to newman for a BHP job when i was called about Pluto, wanting to get a look in on Oil&Gas i took the Pluto job, wondering now if it was the right option, I'm hear to make money not loose it!

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by Yellow Fire

This might be a stupid question, but if you're not a union member do you care if they call you a scab?

A scab is the lowest of low's you could be referred to on a construction site.. All sort's of mindgame's and HF's could be headed your way. As the OP has gone out with the union member's he's cool, however if he didn't.. Time to leave town and look out for the next job he'll cop it there to once a scab alway's a scab.

[Green X]

Originally Posted by Yellow Fire

This might be a stupid question, but if you're not a union member do you care if they call you a scab?

It's not that easy mate, How are you meant to work in a team environment when no one will work with you or doesn't want to work with you.

You spend 4 weeks at a time Working, Eating and living with the guys you work with you have to get along with them. What does FIFO stand for... Fit in or Fuuk Off!

as far as i know out of the 18 guys on my mechanical and Boilermaker team all of them are out the gate no matter how they feel about the situation. How do you think i would be treated if i went to work??

Bottom line if it wasn't for workers sticking together we would be like the Chinese, with no rights rubbish pay and conditions

[Yellow Fire]

Originally Posted by Green X

It's not that easy mate, How are you meant to work in a team environment when no one will work with you or doesn't want to work with you.

You spend 4 weeks at a time Working, Eating and living with the guys you work with you have to get along with them. What does FIFO stand for... Fit in or Fuuk Off!

as far as i know out of the 18 guys on my mechanical and Boilermaker team all of them are out the gate no matter how they feel about the situation. How do you think i would be treated if i went to work??

Bottom line if it wasn't for workers sticking together we would be like the Chinese, with no rights rubbish pay and conditions

That's cool. I'm not from that background (ie a union shop) so I always wondered the consequences of saying "you know what? screw you guys I have a family to feed".

I understand what you're saying. Workplaces can be hell if you're the odd one out.

[pottery beige]

lol.. The 'ol FIFO.. Fit In or ..... Off.. I don't think people actually realise how important it is to fit in unless they have worked in this game green X..

[Green X]

Originally Posted by Yellow Fire

That's cool. I'm not from that background (ie a union shop) so I always wondered the consequences of saying "you know what? screw you guys I have a family to feed".

I understand what you're saying. Workplaces can be hell if you're the odd one out.

Yeah I'm not my-self mate, I'm from very liberal family background, I work contract as a Mechy Fitter on Union & Non union sites, company's like woodside ya just a number, once the Job is done so are you.

You get Jobs on ya reputation as a worker and team player, if ya known as a scab and a dog then no supervisor will want you on his crew no matter how good you are at your job!

Ya put ya 2 cents in but at then end of the day you stick with ya Work Mates or ya may aswell just go home.

[302 XC]

theres the other side of the coin,where you work at a place 14 years,take 1 sickie a year, dont take holidays , work public holidays to all (25 off us )help the bosses business grow ,(yes we got paid,but it was like a family atmosphere)everyone was there that long and looked out for each other,to be told at 3.15pm friday arvo ,(pay day was the following monday),"that as of 3.10pm we had just been bought out if we hadnt the gates would have been locked on monday ",everyone would have lost all there benefits (long sevice holiday pay ect ect)so the days of company/employee loyalty are out the window
companies dont care so neither do workers/workers dont care so neither do companies
people nowadays just turn up for the job do the job and go home
we are all a number no iffs no butts

[302 XC]

oh as for wat i do now, self employed i work hard to make my own business grow