Reward for field staff

 PNG Power workers in the field will be given a morale-boosting reward, company chief executive officer John Tangit (pictured right) said.

Tangit told The National that the management had met with the workers and that there was an understanding “where we need to enhance what we’ve already done and it’s all good”.

Responding to questions about the workers’ outstanding claims, Tangit said: “It will be good but I’m not going to release anything, I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag yet. 

“People out in the field that do the tractions we’d like to give them number one, a good working morale to build the company going forward – that’s the management strategy,” Tangit said.

He had said in April that PPL and the Independent Public Business Corporation board and management had started deliberations on the historical entitlements for PPL workers through an enterprise agreement.

He said PPL was confident of sorting out the dispute with its employees over the outstanding 17.7 per cent pay salary review adjustment. The PPL workers’ outstanding claims have been ongoing. Among their list of demands are:

• Consultations and clarity on the restructure of PNG Power;
• salary review adjustment of 17.77 per cent as per the survey of the market value by PPL; and, 
• Jobs are secured and benefits and entitlements are secured for payment.
• PNG Energy Workers’ Association general secretary Santee Margis said with the Pacific Games on and PPL as the platinum sponsor, all the workers and management had forgotten about their issues.

“Once the Games are over, the workers will start their quest for the outstanding workers’ claims and privatisation issue all over again,” Margis said.”

Meanwhile, Margis has called on the Government to increase the salary of Papua New Guineans across the board since it made funds available to pay athletes for top performances.

“If the Government has money to pay athletes at the Pacific Games then Papua New Guineans deserve a wage increase given the high cost of living and the increased prices of goods and services,” he said.