Woodside Petroleum Ltd
(ASX:WPL) says it intends to make an application to Fair Work Australia to suspend protected industrial action at its Pluto LNG project.
Protected industrial action began on April 28 by 12 crane drivers and telescopic forklift operators in support of claims for increased pay and conditions and is ongoing.
These operators, says Woodside, are necessary to complete several key heavy lifts on the project and as such are having a follow-on impact on mechanical and electrical contractors on site.
Woodside says it continues to target first LNG from the Pluto LNG project in early 2011, having absorbed the impacts of both illegal and protected industrial action which has occurred since December 2009.
The company says despite the action, the project currently remains within market guidance, with a target start-up by end of February 2011 and first LNG by end of March 2011.
However continued industrial action would delay mechanical construction activities and consequently impact the project schedule and cost and is why the company has made the application to have the strike stopped.
Woodside Petroleum earned $1.8 billion in the 2009 calendar year.
