Maritime workers plan strike action

 RESULTS of a secret ballot next week will determine whether the PNG Maritime Workers’ Union will go on a strike over wages and leave fares.

Union president Alex Rawali confirmed that they had been given direction by Industrial Registrar Helen Saleu and were going ahead with the secret ballot.

He said PNG Ports Corporation alone has about 700 workers, out of which between 300 and 400 were members of the union.

They have membership from other organisations, including water and seamen which bring the number to about 7000.

Rawali said they were conducting the secret ballot due to workers’ log of claims, including their outstanding benefits over two years.

There were two things they had been raising – 5% increase over three years and workers’ leave fares.

The management approved only the 5% increase, to be implemented over three years which the workers did not accept.

“Currently, the inflation rate is 4% and 1.66% (per year) is not sufficient for average wage earners and that is what we have been negotiating for the last two years,” Rawali said.

“We are opting to go for strike and we will gain support from our sister unions. We are exercising our rights under the Industrial Organisations Act.”