O’Neill accepts union’s petition

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill flew to Tabubil last Friday to receive a petition from the Ok Tedi Mining and Allied Workers Union on their stand through the transition period from OTML Phase 1 to Phase 2.

With him were Mining Minister Byron Chan, Middle Fly MP Roy Biyama, Tourism Minister Boka Kondra and Telefomin MP Solan Mirisim.

Union vice-president Anthony Tipiso was at Camp Four at Tabubil with the 2,000 skilled national workforce to present the 15-point petition.

Some of the key points discussed were the dual pay system where expatriates were paid in foreign currency and local workers paid in kina for the same work.

O’Neill assured the workers they would get their benefits.  

“No employee will lose their benefits … whatever is legally due to you will be paid before 2014,” he said.