Labour: Sacked workers failed to get advice before strike

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE Department of Labour and Industrial Relations says PNG Taiheiyo Cement workers who were sacked by the company had not sought its advice until after going on strike.
Acting secretary Beverly Doiwa said workers nationwide should seek professional advice before staging any protest.
Doiwa formally responded in a signed media statement after the department, under its prudent management practice, investigated allegations by an anonymous manager and industrial consultant Tom Vevo last week.
The two expressed losing faith in the department, saying it had failed to stand up for the rights of ordinary citizens who were oppressed by foreign companies like the nation’s single cement producer.
But Doiwa said: “Unfortunately relief under the Industrial Organisations Act could not be exercised because the striking employees are not members of any registered industrial organisation.”
“Despite this unfortunate position the workers put themselves into, the department acted on humanitarian grounds and assisted in getting 115 of the formers employees re-employed.
“The department has further established that almost all issues raised were not industrial matters and could have been dealt with through normal administrative processes without jeopardising anyone’s employment.
“The department takes this opportunity to inform every employee that it is very important to seek professional advice before resorting to actions that may destroy their employment and careers,” Doiwa said.
But the 55 sacked workers who have stood firm and called for redress have claimed they consulted with the department after their stop-work action in late November.
They said the lack of cooperation by the department led to them hiring Vevo.
Vevo said the company failed to accept and honour the Industrial Organisations Act, which allows workers to form unions.
He said it was not right for the workers to be manipulated into being reemployed when they were being reinstated and “starting on new rates and conditions instead of retaining the conditions they were sacked on”.
He claimed several Filipinos who were sacked from other companies in Lae and were recruited by the company into positions for locals without any explanation.
Vevo said that should not be taken as an administrative matter but an industrial matter.