Seventy-five Victorian power workers will return to the job on Monday, ending a year of negotiations plagued by protests and a record 100-day lockout.
Workers at the Yallourn Power Station, which provides about 20 per cent of the state's power, voted on Friday to accept an in-principle workplace agreement that the union says addresses concerns about job security and staffing levels.
The agreement follows more than a year of negotiations, including a protest march in August and picket lines at the Latrobe Valley site, east of Melbourne, after 75 workers were locked out in June.
Energy Australia managing director Richard McIndoe said the agreement reached the right balance.
"While it has been a long and difficult path, it is important that we focus on working together to secure the future of Yallourn and support all the jobs on site," Mr McIndoe said on Friday.
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It had been agreed key decisions at the power station would benefit from wider consultation, but management needed to retain the right to make business decisions, he said.
CFMEU national president Tony Maher said workers were pleased the dispute was resolved, following the longest lockout in the power industry.
"It should never have come to this," Mr Maher said.
He added the agreement was a great outcome.
Workers will formally vote on the new four-year agreement in the next two weeks.
Energy Australia brought in workers from other sites to keep the power station operating during the lockout, however only two of its four units remained online during that period.
Energy Australia in August estimated the industrial action, including rolling strikes, had cost the company about $15 million since it started in March.
