Kali rejects stop-work threats

 By MALUM NALU
PERSONNEL Management Secretary John Kali says he will not tolerate stop-work threats by public sector unions.
He said this yesterday as Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari announced the establishment of a National Security Joint Task Force to quell increasing internal security threats.
Kali said the bulk of public service unions – as opposed to those in the public sector – were not threatening to stop work and commended them for this.
“The public service union leaders, not public sector, have conducted themselves very well,” he said.
“They have lent their support to the Government and I talk about the Public Employees Association, Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Association, all the unions in the health sector and police.
“It was very refreshing to hear the police president asking all the other union leaders of the public service to support the Government through this crisis.”
Kali said his concern was at unions within the public sector.
“Our concern is with those unions in the public sector – the energy workers and also those in the private sector like the maritime workers’ unions,” he said.
“It was displeasing to see two of their union leaders front up before the television, requesting for nationwide walkout by their workers.
“I’ve called on the national registrar to call up these union leaders and request them to explain what their role is as union leaders in managing the interests of their workers.
“Very simply: The public service unions are fully supportive of what’s happening at the present time.”