UPNG staff told not to go on strike

National

Higher Education Minister Pila Niningi says there should not be any strike by the University of PNG’s National Academic Staff Association (Nasa) following a recent court decision.
Niningi told The National that there would be normal classes at UPNG today as the Waigani National Court had issued order restraining Nasa and its members from taking industrial action.
A copy of the court order obtained by The National stated: “The defendant and its members are restrained from conducting any or taking part in any industrial action.”
The court explained that industrial action included stop-work action or withdrawing of Nasa’s services to UPNG.
Kopunye Lawyers, representing UPNG, successfully applied for the court order against Nasa.
Nasa’s acting president, Mark Kia, is named as first defendant and Nasa as second respondent.
The court issued the order on Saturday.
Niningi said only two people from the university were behind the strike action.
He said one of them was under investigation for sexual allegations at UPNG.
“The National Court ordered there should not be any strike as it is not an industrial matter,” Niningi said.
“Any strike (today) would be illegal.”
Meanwhile, Niningi said the suspension of the acting principal of Port Moresby Business College, Willie Angu, by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) was illegal.
He said the commission did not have the power to terminate the acting principal.
TSC chairman Baran Sori said last week that it had suspended Angu.
Sori said the Teaching Service Act did not allow any minister or MP to make any appointments in nationally owned schools and institutions.
He said Angu’s appointment by Niningi was “illegal as only the national education board (NEB) had the right to appoint principals”.

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