Workers’ action illegal: Power boss

National

PNG Power workers’ action to block off the entrance into the front and back gates of the company’s head office in Hohola last week was illegal, acting chief executive officer Alex Oa says.
Oa said the management maintained its decision in the warning letter served to a contract officer and termination letter to a casual employee who were involved in  blocking off the office.
“The terminations were based on the blockage of the gate by the crane driver, who is a casual employee,” he said.
“We have contracts for casual employees and there are things that they can get involved in, but other things that they cannot.”
The PNG Energy Workers Association called on the management to withdraw the letters or the members would resort to a sit-in protest.
Oa said the crane driver was not a member of the union and for him to put up a blockage posed safety risks and also put the company into a situation which drew attention.
He said the strike was illegal, the board and management were not informed of it and proper processes were not followed.
“If it was done properly, the industrial registrar should have been advised and they would have been aware of it,” Oa said.
“The crane driver and the supervisor, who is a contract officer according to their employment contracts, are not supposed to be union members.”