Caddies strike over payments

Normal, Sports
Source:

By BURI GABI

OVER 60 caddies at the Port Moresby Golf club went on strike on Saturday over insufficient payments by the golfers who are members of the club.
The caddies refused to do their regular job at the golf course on Saturday.
The golfers had to do the job by themselves.
The caddies, who help the members of the club, said they did a fine job every day by cleaning the golfers’ clubs and cleaning the golf ball when they were dirty.
But, it was sad that they were paid only K5 and K10.
They claimed that they spent almost two hours for nine holes and were paid amounts ranging from K5 to K7.
Sari Iova, who claimed to be a spokesman for the caddies, said that the amount could not sustain them for their daily needs because the prices of goods in the shops in the city had  gone up.
They are now appealing to the club executives to look into the issue and address the matter for the welfare of the caddies.
Meanwhile, Port Moresby Golf Course Club president, Graham Osborne, who was at the scene, addressed the cuddies.
He told them that he would be taking up the matter at the board level so that they could deliberate on the matter.
Osborne told the caddies that a minimum fee for a member of the club to pay a caddie was K15.
The caddies should be paid a minimum of K15, and it is up to each individual member to pay above K15, or more and also give lunch to the caddies, he said.
He said any club member who is paying less than K15 to a caddie for the services they provide should be reported and be dealt with.