Construction Forestry Mining Must Pay Oil Grant

Strikes in Joe McDonals Construction Foestry Mining and Energy Union have been caused the company to pay oil and gas giant Woodside more than 1.5million in compensation. Approximately 1200 construction workers did not show up for work on December 1 and 2, 2009, in protest against fly-in fly-out workers that were forced to change their standard accommodation at the end of each four-week shift. In a consent ruling, the CFMEU and Mr McDonald admitted they had engaged in and encouraged the unlawful strikes.CFMEU state secretary Kevin Reynolds said yesterday the union had made a pragmatic decision to avoid much larger costs and fines had they continued to contest the case. The court "permanently restrained" the CFMEU and Mr McDonald from engaging in unprotected industrial action at the Pluto site, the North West Shelf project and the Browse Basin. Woodside said it welcomed the decision.