INPEX strike dispute at Ichthys LNG may run into July

Strike pressure builds

Industrial action at INPEX’s Ichthys LNG project in Darwin is now expected to stretch deeper into July, with latest reporting saying the dispute could continue until July 6.

The dispute has already escalated into lengthy daily stoppages and work bans, and INPEX says the disruption is significant.

The project is one of Australia’s major LNG operations, and the standoff is increasingly carrying real supply and cost consequences.

What the dispute covers

The action is taking place at the Ichthys central processing facility, the floating production, storage and offloading vessel, and the LNG liquefaction plant.

It is being led by the Offshore Alliance, which includes the Australian Workers' Union and the Maritime Union of Australia.

According to the research packet, the bargaining fight has centered on pay, allowances, job security and career progression, with the unions arguing they are pressing for fair conditions.

INPEX has said it is continuing to negotiate and is preparing another offer while trying to maintain safe and reliable operations.

How it escalated

The industrial action began on June 2, 2026, with stoppages and work bans.

By June 9, reports said stoppages had expanded from four hours a day to eight hours a day at the Ichthys facilities.

On June 10, INPEX sought urgent Fair Work Commission intervention to stop the protected industrial action, warning the disruption would be significant and could affect domestic gas supply in the Northern Territory.

Fair Work ruling keeps talks alive

On June 15, Fair Work Commission deputy president Michael Easton rejected INPEX’s application to stop the action.

According to the reporting, he found there was no sufficient national-economic impact to justify halting the industrial action and ordered the parties to keep negotiating.

That ruling left the dispute unresolved, even as the operational pressure on both sides continued to build.

Costs, delays and stakes

The latest report published on June 16 said the strike could run until July 6 and that INPEX may have lost between $100 million and $200 million so far.

That reporting also said shipments to Japan and South Korea had been delayed.

The stakes extend beyond the company itself. Sustained disruption at Ichthys raises questions about LNG supply, export timing and domestic energy supply in the Northern Territory.

What each side is saying

INPEX says it is negotiating in good faith and that the action is causing major disruption.

The unions say INPEX reversed earlier bargaining progress and that the escalation reflects the company’s own position in the talks.

Employer group criticism has also entered the dispute. The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association has complained to Western Australian safety authorities about union social media posts, according to The Australian.

What comes next

The immediate questions are whether the stoppages really run through July 6, whether INPEX’s next offer narrows the gap, and whether more Fair Work filings follow.

For now, bargaining continues and the public record points to a dispute that is still moving, still expensive and still unresolved.