PERTH: An Australian labour tribunal on Sunday (June 14) rejected an application by Japanese gas company Inpex to halt a strike by some 400 oil and gas workers at its Ichthys LNG project in Australia.
The strike will now run until June 23 with a ban on the loading of all cargoes.
Evidence given by an Inpex worker showed at least four liquefied natural gas cargoes will miss their loadings in that period. Two condensate cargoes have already missed loading.
Inpex on Wednesday filed a petition with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) seeking to halt the strike, saying it would affect the Australian economy.
The FWC's Deputy President Michael Easton on Sunday ruled that he found no evidence of an adverse effect on the Australian economy from a strike, but accepted Inpex's view that there could be a halt to production that could last up to a week.
Just after midnight Thursday local time (1600 GMT), strikes escalated to periods of up to eight hours after Inpex and union groups failed to find a solution. Late on Friday local time, the strike periods were wound back to two blocks of two hours at the beginning and end of a shift.
Bargaining between unions and the company to reach an employment agreement must continue, Easton ruled. - Reuters
