Support for Papua New Guinea workers at ICTSI terminal. ITF photo.
From the Papua New Guinea Post Courier:
More than 1000 maritime workers walked off work in Port Moresby, Motukea and Lae wharves yesterday in protest over a 25-year stevedoring contract given to 40 Filipino workers from the International Container Terminal Service Inc.
Maritime workers executives confirmed the 48-hour stop-work and called on the National Government for a round table dialogue as they fear many locals will lose their jobs because of the key positions given to international workers by January next year.
PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union general secretary Reg McAlistar said members of the Union in Port Moresby and Lae have taken protest action against the Government’s continued failure to seriously address the members concerns of job security and maintenance of award employment conditions with the awarding of a 25-year stevedoring contract in both ports to Filipino multi-national company.
Mr McAlister and the union vice-president Mea Arua said the union only realised the contract agreement was given to the international company after it was reported by international media in September.
Calling the agreement a national disgrace, they have demanded the government and the international stevedoring company provided guarantees of the preservation of local jobs and awards conditions of employment for the existing workforce.
They further questioned whether the awarding of the stevedoring tender was done in a transparent manner.
Meanwhile, workers in Port Moresby walked off their jobs abandoning a vessel with 700 units or containers to be offloaded and loaded with 300 units within three days.