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Court orders Telikom staff back to work
By MICHELLE YIPRUKAMAN
STRIKING Telikom PNG Ltd workers have been ordered back to work.
The National Court issued this order last Friday and also barred the PNG
Communication Workers Union, which is spearheading the strike, not to
hold any stop-work meetings.
Justice Ambeng Kandakasi issued the orders after Telikom went to court
to stop the strike that had gone on for two days.
The order had been made against include PNG Communication Workers Union
executives Bob Magaru, Emmanuel Kairu and Robuam Sikelau, the Telikom
Technical Officers Association president William Baje and the Telikom
Technical Officers Association.
They are restrained from conducting any meetings and encouraging the
employees of the company from engaging in an industrial action, which
would cause interference with the operations of the telecommunications
company.
Many Telikom workers walked off their jobs last Thursday after the
management and Telikom PNG board failed to address the following issues:
*The reinstatement of the new salary
structure;
*The reintroduction of the voluntary exit
scheme for employees affected by the new changes; and,
*The unconditional reinstatement of suspended
officers.
Mr Magaru had also demanded the management to explain the motive of
depositing K68 million of their executives’ payroll into the interest
bearing deposit accounts.
Despite the workers walking off their jobs, there was minimal disruption
to services experienced.
While ordering the workers to cease the “stop-work” or “boycott of
work”, Justice Kandakasi further ordered that the unions and its members
are restrained from intimidating, harassing and assaulting any employee
of the company, who chooses not to participate in any form of industrial
action organised by them.
The case filed by Telikom will be heard this morning.
Meanwhile, it is understood that the PNGCWU will enter into negotiations
with the board this morning with the hope of resolving the matter
quickly.
 
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