Woodside protesters may face $40m in fines

More than 1500 fly-in, fly-out workers being prosecuted over a strike at Woodside Petroleum's Pluto gas project in Western Australia face fines totalling more than $40 million.

Woodside has taken the action before the Australian Building and Construction Commission over the eight-day strike in January at the $12 billion Pilbara project.

Union and non-union workers are being prosecuted individually and could face fines of $28,000 each.

The workers were protesting against Woodside's "motelling" plans, under which they would lose their individual private accommodation and have to stay in different rooms on each work trip.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) WA construction division secretary Kevin Reynolds said the case was listed for mediation before the Federal Court in September.

The union was not directly involved in the strike but had arranged lawyers to represent around 210 members who could face a maximum fine of $28,000 each, he said.

"We think it's atrocious in a democracy like Australia that workers are prosecuted to this extent for taking any form of industrial action.

"But that's the nature of the governments we live under today, be it Labor or Liberal, they're all the same," Mr Reynolds said.

The legal action was putting tremendous pressure on individual workers and their families, many of whom did not have $28,000, he said.

"I think Woodside should reconsider their position and accept that the workers had a legitimate problem. It's now been sorted out."

Comment was being sought from Woodside.

(Published by The Herald Sun – July 28, 2010)