Health workers’ association gains legal status

THE PNG Health Support Workers’ Association (PNGHSWA) is registered and as a legal association, general secretary Jack Suao says
Suao said financial members should know that the association received its confirmation letter last Thursday from the office of Industrial Registrar.
He said Department of Personnel Management (DPM) Secretary John Kali should have no disputes now over the legality of the association but look into the log of claims presented to his office in 2015, and try to improve terms and conditions of health support workers.
“There is a big gap between clinical workers and non-clinical workers which are health support and they are the lowly-paid public servants in the Health Department,” he said.
“The prices of goods and services are expensive and our health support workers are not able to meet the costs.”
Suao appealed to Kali to reconsider his position and negotiate the outstanding log of claims at the management level with the Health Department, DPM and the association executives to settle the members’ grievances and report back to the arbitration tribunal for signing of agreement.
Acting president Michael Laru said the executives and members want the pending agreement to be signed this month.
“Whatever happens, we can revisit the agreement we signed on Dec 10 last year to not take any possible strike actions,” he said.
“With  legal clarification from our lawyer, I am calling on the Health Department and the DPM that if the agreement is not signed this month, then we will be walking off from our duties.”