Doctors set to walk off their jobs today

By KARI TOTONA
DOCTORS will walk out of their jobs by 4.06pm for an indefinite period if nothing happens to avert it today.
This was the defiant position announced by National Doctors Association (NDA) president Dr Kauve Pomat yesterday afternoon despite being told earlier in the week that any strike action would be illegal.
Pomat made the announcement at the PNG Trade Union Congress offices after failing to receive a favourable response to the association’s demands from government.
The strike action, should it proceed, will be deemed illegal as Industrial Registrar Helen Saleu on Tuesday refused to register the NDA’s grievances as an industrial dispute.
She further refused to allow the conduct of a secret ballot to decide on strike action.  Both actions must precede any strike action if it was to be allowed under the law.
She instead referred the matter to the industrial arbitration tribunal for resolution.
Pomat said: “As of now, we have not received a favourable response from the Health Department and the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) or any other high authority, and there is no cause to avert our strike.”
He made it clear that unless something happened in the eleventh hour today, national doctors from all provincial hospitals had agreed to the strike action.
He said: “We have just learnt that Health Department is in favour with DPM and have directed hospitals nationwide not to go on strike as it was considered illegal.”
Pomat urged all NDA members to take action and gather at the TUC premises until something positive comes up.
He also called on the government to intervene and have their log of claims recognised and signed to avert the strike that could cause chaos.
Pomat accused DPM secretary John Kali of telling lies to the government.
“Something is not right, someone is not telling the truth here and there is something fishy going on,” he said.
He claimed that the documents were sent to Kali six months ago and negotiations had been going on for the last four years.
Kali only registered the NDA log of claims three days ago, supposedly after being handed the claims by Health Department.
Pomat said NDA log of claims was presented to Kali last September.
Pomat indicated that all provincial hospitals had come on board and supported the strike throughout the branches.
Any strike might see a maximum 478 members of the NDA out of the total 650 PNG doctors walk off their jobs.