Thousands of workers have marched through central Perth threatening to picket US oil and gas giant Chevron until it pledges to provide more local jobs and training. (Click through for video)
Thousands of workers have marched through central Perth threatening to picket US oil and gas giant Chevron until it pledges to provide more local jobs and training.
Police blocked main roads as the combined union protest - which organisers estimated at being between 4000 to 5000 people - marched on Chevron's Australian headquarters in St George's Terrace.
Security was tight, with the company locking the doors to its QV1 Building entrance as protesters rallied outside, banging drums and shouting slogans.
The unions are demanding that Australian and multi-national resources giants, including Chevron, end what they claim is the practice of importing cheap labour under temporary working visas, and provide more training to local workers.
Chevron has responded to the union claims by pointing out that it has struck lucrative deals with unions representing workers on its sites and will create around 16,500 jobs in Australia from its two major projects Gorgon and Wheatstone.
The rally comes a day after Chevron announced that Malaga-based Hertel Modern had won a $90 million cryogenic insulation contract.
Chevron said the Gorgon project was on track to deliver $20 billion in Australian Industry Participation expenditure during construction. This is the highest ever for an Australian resource project. It is the equivalent of about ten Fiona Stanley Hospitals.
Swiss-based contractor Allseas is being investigated by the Immigration Department over accusations it rorted business visas to hire cheap labour for Chevron's $43 billion Gorgon gas project off WA's northern coast.
While Chevron has put out a statement saying it "expects all of its contractors to comply with Australian laws and regulations", Allseas on Monday lodged action with the Federal Court to try to prevent the Immigration Department from checking its employees' visas.
The offshore pipeline and subsea construction company is arguing its work off Barrow Island, 50km from WA's Pilbara coast, should be exempt from Australia's official Migration Zone.
Allseas hired overseas workers to crew one of its ships on temporary 651 visas - designed for tourists and businessmen visiting Australia for short conferences and meetings - and then allegedly asked them to lie to Immigration officials.
