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It said it would tender for a new external auditor as part of "best practice for audit firm rotation". PwC has audited Westpac since 2002, before which PwC partners and their ancestor firms had audited the bank since 1968. However, PwC's lead Westpac audit partner assumed the role less than two years ago, in December 2021, according to a Westpac governance statement this month. A PwC Australia spokesperson said the firm understood the board's decision and was proud of its time as Westpac's auditor. Renamed Scyne Advisory, roughly 1,400 of PwC Australia's more than 9,000 staff moved over to the new firm.

Persons: Loren Elliott, PwC, Lewis Jackson, Christopher Cushing, Robert Birsel Organizations: Westpac, Central Business District of, REUTERS, Rights, Westpac Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC's, Google, Uber Technologies, Facebook, Meta, PwC, Scyne Advisory, Scyne, Thomson Locations: Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, PwC Australia

Renamed Scyne Advisory, roughly 1,400 of PwC Australia's more than 9,000 staff have moved over to the new advisory firm. It said it would tender for a new external auditor as part of "best practice for audit firm rotation". PwC has audited Westpac since 2002, before which PwC partners and their ancestor firms had audited the bank since 1968. However, PwC's lead Westpac audit partner assumed the role less than two years ago, in December 2021, according to a Westpac governance statement this month. A PwC Australia spokesperson said the firm understood the board's decision and was proud of its time as Westpac's auditor.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, PwC, Robert Birsel, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Scyne Advisory, Scyne, Google, Uber Technologies, Facebook, Meta, WESTPAC, Westpac Group, Westpac, PwC's, Thomson Locations: Barangaroo, Australia

The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

Nov 6 (Reuters) - EIG Partners Chief Executive Blair Thomas said on Monday he is confident a Brookfield-EIG consortium can win support for its $10.5 billion bid for Origin Energy (ORG.AX) despite opposition from the Australian electricity and gas firm's top shareholder. Pension fund AustralianSuper said on Monday it had increased its stake in Origin to 15.03% from 13.67% and the A$9.53 per share bid remained "substantially" below its estimate of long-term value. Origin will hold a shareholder meeting on Nov. 23, where it will urge investors to vote in favour of the deal. If the deal is successful, Brookfield will take ownership of Origin's energy markets business, while EIG's MidOcean Energy will gain a 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). Thomas confirmed both Brookfield and EIG had discussed with AustralianSuper the possibility of it participating in the deal earlier this year.

Persons: Blair Thomas, AustralianSuper, Thomas, EIG, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Archishma Iyer, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: EIG Partners, EIG, Origin Energy, Brookfield, Energy, Australia Pacific LNG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia, Bengaluru

The Sydney-based financial conglomerate has not had a steeper first-half profit drop in more than a decade. The results capped a run of "exceptional conditions" last year in the company's commodity trading and asset management segments, buoyed by energy market volatility and ripe conditions for asset sales, respectively, Chief Financial Officer Alex Harvey told Reuters. Macquarie said the asset management division's income should rebound in the second half to about the A$940 million it reported in the same period last year. The company said fees and commissions at investment banking arm Macquarie Capital were in line with the previous comparable period. Profit fell 28% to A$430 million.

Persons: David Gray, Alex Harvey, Macquarie, Shemara Wikramanayake, Wikramanayake, Barrenjoey, Lewis Jackson, Roushni Nair, Rishav Chatterjee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Macquarie Group Ltd, REUTERS, Macquarie, Reuters, Citi, Investment, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, SYDNEY, Ukraine, North America, Israel, Bengaluru

"AustralianSuper believes Origin has a highly strategic portfolio of assets to participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition," a spokesperson said. Origin shares plunged as much as 5.6% to A$8.565 in high-volume trading following the news, as AustralianSuper's 13.68% holding could scupper a deal that requires approval from 75% of the register if not all investors vote. Should the deal fail at the shareholder vote scheduled for Nov. 23, a revised agreement allows the consortium to make a subsequent off-market bid if it buys 5% or more of Origin shares. "If it gets voted down, Brookfield aren't obligated to come back with an off-market takeover offer, but they may be inclined to," he said. Should the deal close, Brookfield and its partners GIC and Temasek will own Origin's Energy Markets business, which includes power generation and retailing.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Canada's Brookfield, Brookfield, Jamie Hannah, Simon Mawhinney, Allan Gray, Stewart Upson, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Sameer Manekar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, bourse, Brookfield Asia, Energy Markets, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Australia Pacific LNG, Thomson Locations: VanEck, Brookfield, Temasek, Saudi, Australia, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Two Dead, Dozens of Homes Destroyed as Bushfires Rage Across Eastern Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Two people have been killed and dozens of homes destroyed in bushfires raging across Australia's northern Queensland state, as firefighters travel from across the country and from New Zealand to try and contain the out-of-control blazes. Residents have been told to evacuate from two massive bushfires in the southeast portion of Queensland, even as dozens of fires continue to burn across the state where at least 45 homes have been destroyed and two people killed since last week. "These are heartbreaking scenes when people lose their houses," Albanese said from the town of Bundaberg, near one of the large fires. Firefighters from the neighbouring state of Victoria and New Zealand were on their way to help, Albanese added. More than 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) are burning out of control in the neighbouring state of New South Wales, only 40 kms (25 miles) from one of the Queensland fires.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, Albanese, Firefighters, Lewis Jackson, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, Firefighters, Queensland Locations: Australia's, Queensland, New Zealand, Bundaberg, Victoria, Australia, New South Wales, Ulan, Sydney

AustralianSuper owns a 13.68% stake in Origin Energy and said the offer was "substantially below" its estimate of long-term value for Australia's biggest energy retailer. Origin shares were down 0.9% in early trade on Tuesday at A$9.10 each, which was above the $A8.81 offer price. Origin shares have been trading above the offer price since the deal got an approval from the country's competition regulator on Oct. 10. Origin shares closed at A$9.17 on Monday, 4.1% above the offer price. "The current offer from the Brookfield and EIG-backed consortium remains substantially below our estimate of Origin's long-term value," the firm said.

Persons: AustralianSuper, Max Vickerson, AusSuper, it’s, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Sameer Manekar, Josie Kao, Lincoln, Chris Reese Organizations: Origin Energy, Brookfield, stockbroker Morgans, Frontier Economics, Energy, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, EIG, Sydey, Bengaluru

PwC sign is seen in the lobby of their offices in Barangaroo, Australia June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Lewis Jackson Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - PwC Australia said on Thursday that dozens of staff who had been set to move across to spin-off consultancy Scyne Advisory will no longer have roles at the new firm and have been told to look for jobs internally. Over 1,500 people out of PwC Australia's more than 9,000 staff were expected to move to the new firm, PwC said in September. A Scyne Advisory spokesperson said a delay in closing the deal, originally planned for September, changes to its "partner mix" and the need to establish Scyne as a "sustainable business" were factors in the decision. The move comes as Scyne Advisory gears up to reclaim advisory work that netted PwC Australia A$680 million ($427 million) last financial year.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, PwC, Kevin Burrowes, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Scyne, PwC, PwC Australia, of Finance, Thomson Locations: Barangaroo, Australia, PwC Australia, PwC

A fishing boat sails past the Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess cruise ship as it docks in Manila Bay during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cavite city, Philippines, May 7, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Carnival Corp's (CCL.N) Australian unit has been ordered to pay the medical expenses of a woman who contracted COVID-19, with a judge ruling that the cruise ship operator misled passengers about safety risks in a landmark class action ruling. The decision from Australia's Federal Court is the first class action win against a cruise ship operator in the world, according to Shine Lawyers, who represent about 1,000 Australian plaintiffs in the suit. Legal filings show the operator denied it knew before the voyage that the risk of contracting COVID was higher on a cruise ship than in the community. The number of plaintiffs could also grow should Australia's High Court rule that some 700 U.S. passengers can be included in the class action.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, COVID, Angus Stewart, Susan Karpik, Henry, Henry Karpik's, Vicky Antzoulatos, Karpik's, Karpik didn’t, Antzoulatos, Lewis Jackson, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Princess Cruises, REUTERS, Rights, Federal, Shine Lawyers, Carnival, Carnival Australia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manila Bay, Cavite city, Philippines, Carnival Australia, Sydney, New Zealand, New South Wales

[1/5] A view of the residential apartments in Country Garden's Forest City development in Johor Bahru, Malaysia August 16, 2023. The group hired PJT Partners (PJT.N) as financial adviser to lead discussions with Country Garden, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Ratings agency Moody's said on Thursday it could downgrade Country Garden's (2007.HK) 'corporate family rating' if the recovery prospects for its creditors weaken further. Moody's said Country Garden's senior unsecured rating of C was already at the lowest of its rating scale. Country Garden and Frasers did not immediately respond for a request for comment on that sale.

Persons: Edgar Su, PJT, Moody's, Frasers, Houlihan Lokey, Sidley Austin, Yeung Kwok Keung, Yang Huiyan, Yeung, Yang, Cao Jianglin, Garden's, China Evergrande, Scott Murdoch, Xie Yu, Clare Jim, Anousha Sakoui, Liz Lee, Lewis Jackson, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed, Lincoln, Miral Fahmy, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, HK, PJT Partners, Garden's, Australian Financial, Reuters, China International Capital Corporation, Finance, HSBC, China National Agricultural Development, SOE, Thomson Locations: Garden's, City, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, China HONG KONG, Garden's Australian, Melbourne, China, Shunde, Guangdong province, Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Beijing, Sydndey

☆ Australia antitrust watchdog to oversee domestic air travel sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Qantas plane takes off from Kingsford Smith International Airport, following the coronavirus outbreak, in Sydney, Australia, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Qantas Airways Ltd FollowSYDNEY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australia will ask its competition watchdog to monitor domestic passenger flights in a bid to boost competition in a sector dominated by national carrier Qantas, which is under scrutiny for alleged anti-competitive behaviour. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will monitor prices, costs and profits in the domestic air passenger sector, according to a joint statement from Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Transport Minister Catherine King on Wednesday. "A competitive airline industry helps to put downward pressure on prices and deliver more choice for Australians facing cost-of-living pressures," the statement said. "ACCC market scrutiny will help ensure airlines compete on their merits, bring to light any inappropriate market conduct should it occur, and provide continued transparency at a time when new and expanding airlines are still trying to establish themselves."

Persons: Loren Elliott, Jim Chalmers, Catherine King, Alan Joyce, Lewis Jackson, Muralikumar Organizations: Qantas, Kingsford Smith International, REUTERS, Rights Companies Qantas Airways Ltd, SYDNEY, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Transport, Qatar Airways, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

The Offshore Alliance union said it had called off strikes originally planned for Thursday at the U.S. energy major's Gorgon and Wheatstone projects in Western Australia, which supply around 6% of the world's LNG. Workers have showed "incredible patience" with Chevron, Offshore Alliance spokesperson Brad Gandy said in a statement, blaming the company for trying to back away from the tentative deal agreed last month. "There was some real compromises by Chevron at the 11th hour that enabled a deal to be re-struck and strikes withdrawn," energy analyst Saul Kavonic said. Kavonic said the agreement would end the risks of strikes across Australia's largest offshore LNG projects. The Offshore Alliance, a coalition of the Australian Workers' Union and the Maritime Union of Australia, said workers would vote on the proposed enterprise agreements.

Persons: Brad Gandy, Gandy, Saul Kavonic, Kavonic, Renju Jose, Lewis Jackson, Emily Chow, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Union, SYDNEY, Offshore Alliance, Traders, Workers, Australian Workers ' Union, Maritime Union of Australia, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australian, Chevron's, Australia, U.S, Asia, Norway, Sydney, Singapore, Bengaluru

Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Unions at Chevron's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia reaffirmed their plan to resume strikes this week as mediated talks continued on Monday, sparking angry comments from the company saying workers were being unreasonable. Australia's industrial arbitrator, the Fair Work Commission, mediated three days of talks last week and asked the Offshore Alliance to withdraw the strike plan while talks continued, Chevron said. The Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chevron said unions continued to introduce new matters into the dispute and were withholding agreement on other issues pending member votes. Chevron said late on Sunday it was "extremely disappointed" by the vote to stick with the strike plan, against the arbitrator's request.

Persons: Chevron, Lewis Jackson, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Offshore Alliance, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia

☆ Pro-Palestinian rallies in Australia over Gaza draw thousands
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of people attended pro-Palestinian rallies in Australian state capitals on Sunday despite police threats to curb them, amid tensions after the bloody Hamas incursion into Israel eight days ago. Pro-Palestine rallies were also being held on Sunday in state capitals Adelaide and Melbourne, where thousands protested, according to The Guardian Australia. Countries across the developed world are curbing pro-Palestinian protests out of concern the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger violence at home. France banned pro-Palestinian protests on Thursday saying they were likely to "generate disturbances to public order". In Sydney, police arrested three men on Friday outside the Jewish Museum of Australia in Sydney for making Nazi salutes, media reported.

Persons: Amal Naser, Naser, Sam McKeith, Lewis Jackson, Muralikumar Organizations: SYDNEY, Palestine Action, Reuters, Police, Palestine Action Group, Palestine, Guardian, Jewish Museum of Australia, Nazi, Thomson Locations: Israel, Sydney, New South Wales, Palestine, Adelaide, Melbourne, Guardian Australia, France

☆ Pro-Palestinian Rallies in Australia Over Gaza Draw Thousands
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of people attended pro-Palestinian rallies in Australian state capitals on Sunday despite police threats to curb them, amid tensions after the bloody Hamas incursion into Israel eight days ago. Pro-Palestine rallies were also being held on Sunday in state capitals Adelaide and Melbourne, where thousands protested, according to The Guardian Australia. Countries across the developed world are curbing pro-Palestinian protests out of concern the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger violence at home. France banned pro-Palestinian protests on Thursday saying they were likely to "generate disturbances to public order". In Sydney, police arrested three men on Friday outside the Jewish Museum of Australia in Sydney for making Nazi salutes, media reported.

Persons: Amal Naser, Naser, Sam McKeith, Lewis Jackson, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: SYDNEY, Palestine Action, Reuters, Police, Palestine Action Group, Palestine, Guardian, Jewish Museum of Australia, Nazi Locations: Israel, Sydney, New South Wales, Palestine, Adelaide, Melbourne, Guardian Australia, France

☆ Australia cancels repatriation flights from Israel due to 'highly challenging' situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Australia has cancelled two planned flights to repatriate citizens from Israel and the Palestinian territories due to the "highly challenging" situation, the foreign affairs department said on Saturday. Repatriation flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will not depart as planned amid a "highly challenging and rapidly changing" situation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said in a statement on social media. Australia continues to work with citizens in the area to help them return home and will communicate about future flights, DFAT added. The first in the planned series of repatriation flights left on Friday local time, with over 200 Australians and their families arriving safely in London, according to SBS News.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, DFAT, Lewis Jackson, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, SBS News, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Australia, Israel, London

A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Negotiations over a stalled pay and conditions deal between Chevron and unions at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia made progress on Friday, but fell short of sealing an agreement to end months of labour disputes at the major export sites. Friday's talks are the second round being mediated by the FWC within the past month. The unions halted weeks of strikes in late September at the facilities that supply around 6% of the world's LNG after an earlier round of talks produced a deal. Weeks later, however, the unions accused Chevron of reneging on certain commitments and said they would resume strikes on Oct. 19.

Persons: Friday's, Weeks, Lewis Jackson, Susanna R, Alasdair Pal, Miral Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia, Chevron, reneging, Europe, London

[1/5] Voters are seen at the ballot box at the Old Australian Parliament House, during The Voice referendum in Canberra, Australia, October 14, 2023. "I sincerely hope that Australians, when they walk into that ballot box today, vote 'Yes'," Albanese said in Sydney, according to a transcript. Supporters of the proposal believe entrenching an Indigenous Voice in the constitution would unite Australia and usher in a new era with its Indigenous people, who account for 3.8% of the population and are its most disadvantaged, by most socio-economic measures. Another voter and 'No' campaigner, Greg Mason, doubted the usefulness of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Constitutional change requires a majority of votes both nationwide and in at least four of the six states.

Persons: Tracey Nearmy, Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, Michael Mahoney, Sydneysider Geoff Sumner, Greg Mason, Stefica Nicol, Praveen Menon, William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Old Australian, House, REUTERS, Aboriginal, Australian, Stefica Nicol Bikes, Thomson Locations: Canberra, Australia, Sydney SYDNEY, Sydney, Torres, Melbourne, Perth, Beach

[1/3] PwC Australia Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burrowes listens during the inquiry into management and assurance of integrity by consulting services at Parliament House in Canberra, October 12, 2023. The global firm announced last month it had taken "appropriate action" against six staff outside Australia who received confidential information and should have raised questions. No confidential information was used for commercial gain, it said. Burrowes told senators PwC Australia had not been provided details about the international investigation and did not know where the staff worked or how they had been disciplined. An investigation by the U.S. accounting regulator, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), is underway and PwC Australia is providing further information to the body, a senior executive told parliament.

Persons: Kevin Burrowes, Mick Tsikas, PwC, Burrowes, Lewis Jackson, Sonali Paul Organizations: Australia, House, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Police, PwC, Public Company, KPMG Australia, Thomson Locations: Canberra, U.S, PwC Australia

A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Chevron/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Chevron and unions representing workers at its two liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia made progress in talks over pay and conditions on Wednesday and would meet again on Thursday, a union representative said. With workers threatening to resume strikes from next week at the facilities that supply around 6% of the world's LNG, Chevron and unions were holding negotiations before Australia's industrial arbitrator, the Fair Work Commission. Unions halted weeks of strikes at Chevron's sites in late September after an earlier round of talks produced a deal. However, unions subsequently accused Chevron of reneging on certain commitments and said on Monday they would restart strikes on Oct. 19.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, AS, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Australia, Chevron, reneging

[1/4] Participants of a pro-Palestinian rally react outside the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, October 9, 2023. AAP Image/Dean Lewins via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Australian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration. Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city's iconic Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday's attacks by Hamas which Israel says killed over 900. Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting "gas the Jews". Protest organiser Palestine Action Group Sydney defended its right to protest "apartheid" in Israel but said a small number of "vile antisemitic attendees" had no place in their movement.

Persons: Dean Lewins, Israel, Anthony Albanese, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry Organizations: Sydney Opera House, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sydney, Opera House, Gaza's Health, Australian Jewish Association, Sky News, Opera, Palestine, Group Sydney, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, South Wales, Israel

Night-shift workers at Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities voted to restart strikes in the afternoon meeting, the Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, said in a statement. The unions accuse the U.S. oil giant of reneging on a deal that ended strikes last month. Reuters reported on Thursday, the bulk of workers at the facilities had voted to strike. Chevron must be given seven business days notice before strikes can begin and unions said they plan to file the notice on Monday. A union representative who declined to be named said there are no talks currently scheduled with Chevron.

Persons: Wheatstone, “, Brad Gandy, Nilutpal, Lewis Jackson, Mark Potter, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS, Offshore Alliance, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, U.S, Bengaluru, Sydney

Chevron/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Chevron Corp FollowOct 5 (Reuters) - Chevron (CVX.N) has "reneged" on commitments made to Australia's industrial tribunal, unions representing workers at its two local liquefied natural gas (LNG) sites said on Thursday, weeks after both sides struck a tentative deal to end major strikes. Workers called off strikes less than two weeks ago after unions and Chevron accepted proposals on pay and conditions proposed by the country's industrial arbitrator. However, the Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, said Chevron had "reneged" on its commitments. Members would meet on Thursday and Friday to discuss the issue, according to a statement posted on Thursday to social media. A union representative who declined to be named said they would recommend workers serve Chevron notice of intent to resume strikes.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, Urvi, Kim Coghill, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Companies Chevron Corp, Workers, Offshore Alliance, Commission, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, Sydney, Bengaluru

A general view of Chevron's Wheatstone LNG facility in Pilbara coast, Western Australia, as seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on September 8, 2023. Workers called off strikes less than two weeks ago after unions and Chevron accepted proposals on pay and conditions proposed by the country's industrial arbitrator, the Fair Work Commission. However, the Offshore Alliance, a coalition of two unions, on Thursday said Chevron had "reneged" on its commitments. A union representative who declined to be named said they would recommend workers serve Chevron notice of intent to resume strikes. Chevron and unions had made progress drafting the agreement, but differences remained over issues like reimbursement for meals or travel for training, according to a second union representative involved in the negotiations.

Persons: Weeks, Lewis Jackson, Urvi, Kim Coghill, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Companies Chevron Corp, Workers, Offshore Alliance, Commission, Thomson Locations: Wheatstone, Western Australia, U.S, Sydney, Bengaluru

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