(Rewrites to reflect tribunal date)
By Lewis Jackson
SYDNEY, Sept 12 (Reuters) -
The dispute between Chevron and workers at its two liquefied natural facilities (LNG) in Australia will be heard by Australia's industrial relations tribunal on Sept. 22, potentially offering a resolution to planned strike action.
Chevron said on Monday it no longer expects to reach a deal with unions and is
betting instead on a ruling
from the Fair Work Commission to cancel strike action and force a deal.
At a scheduling hearing with both parties on Tuesday, the Fair Work Commission set the Sept. 22 for the substantive hearings, the office of President Hatcher told Reuters on Tuesday. At this stage there will only be a single hearing, however the office could not specify how long it would take the tribunal to decide.
"The act requires the commission to act as soon as practical, so timeframes are quite tight," the office said.
The case will be a landmark test of the new laws, first introduced in June, which empower the umpire to force parties into an agreement they themselves are unable to make.
Unions had argued for a later hearing date in November, the office added.
Chevron said it welcomed the decision in a statement. The unions did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Leslie Adler and Louise Heavens)
