WORKERS GO ON STRIKE

[Post Courier, Thursday, August 6, 2009]

THOUSANDS of employees at the PNG Forest Products are on strike over claims of foreign recruitment by the company in Wau Bulolo Valley.
The PNG Forest Products Workers Union General Secretary Albert Kaklep told the Post Courier yesterday the strike will continue until their list of demands are addressed by the Department of Labour, Employers Federation and PNG Forest Products Limited.
Mr Kaklep said the strike started on Monday and would continue until their demands for a complete stop to foreign recruitment and hire of labourers out of Bulolo is effected are considered.
The local workers want all jobs with PNGFP Ltd to be localised by people from the Wau Bulolo Valley.
He said that the issue was submitted to the Department of Labour via correspondence in late 2007 and in early 2008 but there was no response from them.
“The Labour Department, the only sector we had faith in, turned a blind eye on us by not addressing the issue but instead entertained the foreigners,” Mr Kaklep claimed.
“Our demands will stand as per our resolution and we start our strike with a sit in today (Monday, August 3) and will continue,” Mr Kaklep said.
The workers are demanding:
- IMMEDIATELY cease to recruit people outside of Bulolo to work at Hidden Valley construction camp;
- IMMEDIATE repatriation of those currently recruited to their places of hire;
- ALL FOREIGN recruitment to be cease immediately;
- ALL FOREIGNERS to be repatriated and positions localised;
- ALL FOREIGNERS who have overstayed their contractual term of three years be repatriated;
- LOYAL servants be given priority in allocation of houses, and those evicted for maintenance be given back their rooms immediately;
- BULOLO Timbers employees be awarded classifications equal to those of the mills in town;
- BULOLO Timbers employees be awarded normal eight hours during rainy season and not the current three hours, and;
- A 100 per cent pay increase across the board.
Meanwhile a meeting was held with the PNG Forest Product management yesterday afternoon to resolve the issue.
Mr Kaklep said the management had agreed verbally but the employees demanded it to be in black and white. The strike continued to its fourth day today.