Offshore Oil and Gas

Australian seafarers work on floating production storage and offtake vessels, drill rigs, tugs and support vessels in the offshore oil and gas industry here and abroad.

Around 1,500 MUA members are at work in the Timor Sea, off the North West Shelf and in Bass Strait.

MUA members have a long and proud history in the industry of maintaining rights through their elected delegate structures and collective bargaining. Via their union, workers in the industry ensure their voice is heard with governments at both federal and state level, and with safety authorities and industry associations.

Current Campaign

TIME FOR A SEA CHANGE

Industry Press

Rig Workers Voice No31. February 2010 Size: mb Rig Workers Held Captive in Singapore win their freedom
Rig Workers Voice February 4 Size: mb Workers from five rigs attended a meeting in Fremantle on the 2nd of February to hear reports from AWU/MUA Alliance officials on the many positive developments in the campaign to organise workers in the exploration industry.
Rig Workers Voice January 18 Size: mb A meeting of all Alliance Rig Workers will be held in the MUA WA Branch Office 2-4 Kwong Alley North Fremantle at 1.00pm on the 2nd of February 2010.
Rig Workers Voice November 20 Size: mb An historical agreement has been reached this week when the entire crew of the Ensco 7500 stood together as one and achieved the first ever hard lying payment for rig workers in the offshore oil and gas Industry. This campaign for recognition of the poor state of rig particularly in regards to noise started some five months ago and it is with great satisfaction that we report back to you all with the most positive of results.
Rig Workers Voice 17 Nov Size: mb The new Fair Work Act 2009 brings with it a new set of rights for workers who have previously been denied the opportunity to collectively bargain and be represented by their union. From 1st January 2010 there will be no legislative provision for the making of individual agreements. That means employers have to negotiate employment conditions with their workforce collectively.
Rig Workers Voice October 30 Size: mb The ITF releases a hard-hitting report that alleges that Mexico’s offshore industry is riddled with repression, corruption and cover-up that is costing workers’ lives.
Rig Workers Voice Sept 18 Size: mb The Australian Workers Union has recruited a new organiser for the Offshore Alliance.
Rig Workers Voice August 26 Size: mb For the first time MUA and AWU Alliance officials have met jointly with Ensco representatives on behalf of both marine, drill and deck crews. The meeting took place on Monday August 24 to discuss the substandard accommodation standards on the Ensco 7500 drill rig.
Rig Workers Voice July 31 Size: mb The Australian Workers Union is looking for somebody to fill the position of Organiser to work on the joint MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance project in Western Australia.
Rig Workers Voice June 26 Size: mb Rig Workers on Ensco 7500 have voted no and rejected attempts by their employer to rush in a second rate (non union) agreement before the new IR laws came into force on the 1st July.
Rig Workers' Voice, May 27 Size: mb Workers Rights Prevail in Shell Random Drug Testing Case
Rig Workers' Voice May 09 Size: mb Another helicopter has crashed into the North Sea while carrying rigs workers to shore. Out of the sixteen people on board, eight are confirmed dead and another eight unaccounted for.

EBA's & Awards

MUA members working in the offshore oil and gas industry have a say in their employment conditions through key enterprise agreements.

Companies

Industry News & Events

Union Links

Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union of NZ (EPMU)
Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) The MUA together with with the AWU, the MUNZ and the EPMU of New Zealand have established the Trans Tasman Alliance in a joint effort to improve working conditions and deal with the issues of workers on drill rigs that operate across both countries boundary's.
International Transport Federation (ITF) As a key affiliate of the ITF the MUA plays an active role as a member of the Asia Pacific Offshore Task Force which is made up of a group of ITF affiliate unions that represent offshore oil and gas workers in the Asia Pacific region. Through the Task Force the MUA helped Timorese maritime workers set up their own union. We are now campaigning to get Timorese workers jobs in the multi-billion dollar Timor Gap oil and gas industry. Other unions in the Offshore Task Force in this region include maritime and transport unions from East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand to name a few.
Australian Workers Union The Maritime Union of Australia has joined forces with the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) to form a key industry Alliance that represents workers on drill rigs and FPSO's in the offshore oil and gas industry. Organisers from both unions are working together to help improve safety and conditions of employment for workers across the industry.