Woodside pays workers "appropriate" wages
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SYDNEY, Feb 28 AAP
February 28 2010, 6:05PM
Australia's biggest oil and gas producer, Woodside Petroleum, says it is paying its workers appropriate wages despite recent industrial relations disputes.
This comes after a recent eight-day wildcat strike over workers' accommodation gave the market jitters over the progress of recent Pluto liquefied natural gas project in the Pilbara.
Chief executive Don Voelte told Sky News' Sunday Business program it paid generous but appropriate wages.
He said most Australians would be surprised to learn Woodside pays its skilled workers a gross salary of up to $200,000 a year.
"These are pretty tough conditions up there," Mr Voelte said.
"You listen to the workers and they say we're away from our families, it's blasted hot up there in the summer time."
"Some people like to call it (the wages) generous. I would like to call it appropriate."
On Wednesday, the company increased its annual profit and said the first two stages of the Pluto project should not be stalled by strikes and a lack of gas.
Woodside posted a net profit for calendar year 2009 of $1.82 billion, up 2.1 per cent from 2008 and greater than expectations.
By Lema Samandar
