Inpex's Australian LNG workers back pay deal that could set industry standard

Under the agreement, workers will receive annual pay rises of 3.75%, lifting the maximum base salary for some highly skilled employees to more than A$300,000 ($209,400) by 2030, not including five figure on- and offshore allowances, overtime, travel allowances and bonuses, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Inpex Senior Vice President Corporate Bill Townsend confirmed the vote in an emailed statement and said the company was preparing to submit the agreement with the Fair Work Commission for approval.

Shell's Prelude floating LNG facility is expected to be the next major bargaining battleground, unions said.

The previous Ichthys agreement was signed in 2022.

A strike that halted production and LNG exports ended in June after the two sides reached a provisional agreement, which unions then put to members for ratification.

Inpex unsuccessfully sought to halt the industrial action, arguing that lost production would harm Australia's economy. The Fair Work Commission rejected the application after a two-day hearing.