Labour office condemns fight at Ramu mine

THE Department of Labour and Industrial Relations has condemned “the deplorable treatment” of a staff member by employees of Ramu nickel mine at the Kurumbukari site, in Madang province.
It said the so-called “industrial action” taken by those employees on March 12 was illegal, “by the fact that there is no registered industrial organisation representing this group of employees under the industrial organisations act to have afforded them the right to organise and collectively bargain for their terms and conditions of employment”.
“The consequence of this illegal action might result with instant dismissal from work for disrupting normal operations of the company,” the department said.
Workers at the Ramu nickel mine organised and applied for the re­gistration of their association under the Industrial Organisation Act, in November.
“The mine management objected to that application and since then, the workers have not been able to reorganise themselves to pursue this application.
“For the safety and se­cu-
rity of officers performing
their duties at the Ramu mine, all site visits by the labour officers are forthwith suspended,” it said.
“The department demands a public apology from these workers concerned and until then all interventions by the department at the mine shall be carried out from the town of Madang.”