RD Tuna Workers On Strike

About 1,700 workers of RD Tuna Fishing Ltd were on strike today in Madang Province. The workers are not happy simply because the company is not paying them K2.29 per hour which is minimum wage set by the government. While other similar fishing operations in the country are complying with this RD Tuna is not. The amount of K2.29 per hour was supposed to have taken effect as of January this year. The department of Labour was present today to address the crowd in front of the factory. The Community Relations Officer from RD Tuna as well as the police were there. RD Tuna promised to start paying K2.29 per hour effective as of August 6 2010.

RD Tuna has also suspended 489 of these workers. The RD Tuna Union now demands the following from the company:
1. reinstate 489 suspended workers; and
2. pay K2.29 per hour from August 6 on wards however also back pay all workers for the period January to August 5 period.


The President of the RD Tuna Union says all workers will NOT go back to work until the company meets their demands.

Madang residents protest

By ROSALYN EVARA

MORE than 500 people - including tertiary students - took to the streets of Madang yesterday to protest the changes to the environmental law.
The protestors turned up in droves as early as 8am at Laiwaden Oval armed with placards and banners carrying all sorts of messages, mostly expressing their disgust not only over the changes but at leaders including those from the province who had supported it.
The event went ahead after 9am despite another attempt by Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet, who had turned up at the oval, to again caution their actions would be deemed illegal.
Sir Arnold, the former chief justice, said he understood that he could not stop them but urged they respect the rule of law, particularly as the matter was before the courts. Further they should be wary of what they say.
This however did not go down well with the protestors, some of whom shouted back at him telling him it was their right before making their way out of the oval and onto Modilon Road enroute to the Sir Bato Bultin Complex.
Police on Tuesday after advice from Sir Arnold had also advised the protestors against going ahead with the march.
However, again this did not deter the protestors.
Madang provincial police commander superintendent Anthony Wagambie in a statement yesterday said while he had advised the public against staging the event the public who had congregated at Laiwaden in huge numbers did not look like they were going to back down.
Supt Wagambie given this scenario had to make a quick decision and allowed it to go ahead with police escort and supervision.
He said as law enforcers their primary duty is to protect lives and property and from his assessment, if police had moved them forcefully there would have been bloodshed and mayhem.
He said on the issue of the matter being “subjudice” (in contempt of a current courtation) he stressed the police role to protect and that it be best left to the lawyers to address.
“If proper written advice and instruction was given out earlier, this would have may be made a very small difference.
“However as I have stated, the organisers were very unyielding in having the march.
“I must state here that all means were used to have the march cancelled. After it was forcefully staged, I made assessment on the ground and provided police to supervise the whole event.
“There was no threat to the whole of Madang town, including the shopping centre, due to heavy police presence. The whole episode was under control by police,” he said.
The protestors had initially planned to march from Laiwaden to the Sir Bato Bultin complex - where they had expected to vent their frustrations to Sir Arnold.
However this did not eventuate as the Governor had made it clear that the matter was “subjudice.”
The protestors instead were redirected by police to the area outside the provincial administration headquarters where for more than three hours they vented their frustrations. While they had demanded the presence of the governor, he did not turn up.
George Ireng, who was one of the organisers of the event, said while it was disappointing there were no leaders to listen to the grievances of the people, they (protestors) could be proud they had achieved something.
“The Justice Minister Ano Pala, the Government has said it would be unconstitutional to be doing what we just did and that we would be breaking the law but we can take to the streets because it is our right.
“Even the governor said no to this march but we achieved something by taking to the street. While they (leaders) may not be here that is okay because if we wait for them they will not make a difference.
“The media is so we will have a media conference and get our message out to the world,” he said. The protest was orderly and many who spoke commended the organisers for the initiative.
The event ended about 2 in the afternoon.

Post Courier, July 1, 2010

Protest – Government Say NO! People SAY YES!

The beginning of change in PNG started today in Madang. This was purely people’s power in action. While the government was saying NO to the march today, the people went right ahead and protested. The people are no longer blind, they are rising up because of the many injustices in this country. They took the streets today to show their frustrations on the latest changes to the Environment Act 2000. Included in this crowd of about 3,000 people were the students from the Divine Word University in Madang as well as those from University of Technology, Lae, Morobe Province. People from all walks of life were on the streets today.
All members of parliament from Madang were not available to receive the protesters although they were informed about it. The Governor of Madang tried to stop the march physically by trying to talk to the people in not marching but the people showed their frustrations by ignoring him and marching to the provincial headquarters. The police were very understanding and cooperative, they should be commended for a job well done. Madang has now opened the door for protesting regardless of the Attorney General’s directions of not allowing any protests right around the country. The organizers of the Madang protests, including the general public, the students and even the police should be commended for an excellent job. The very fact that the protest went ahead will go done in history books of this country and that is the beginning of people revolting because the government is NOT serving their interests but that of the outsiders.

Ramu concern intensifies

By ROSALYN EVARA

CONCERNS have intensified over the possible closure of the Ramu nickel project and attempts have been made to get the people who have taken out the injunction on an developers to withdraw their case.
The attempts were made during a meeting which Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet organised last week in the provincial capital between the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and leaders from the four mine impact areas. Also present was Sama Mellombo, who is the fifth plaintiff in the case, who was the last of the appointed speakers to officially address Sir Michael with his grievances. Mr Mellombo reiterated yet again that it was not the project they were up in arms over rather the method of mine waste disposal the Chinese Metallurgical Construction Company (MCC) and the State were adamant on pursuing.
Mr Mellombo, who had been employed by Highlands Pacific Limited (HPL) for eight years before leaving, said there were four options which had been recommended for the tailings disposal, three of them land-based. He questioned why they were so adamant on pursuing the Deep Sea Tailings Placement and even prepared to risk the lives of so many people when there was a lot of evidence already indicating how detrimental this would be.
“DSTP is the cheapest option compared to the options that have been suggested and do we (the people) want to cop the shit that will come with it? No! “No-one of you (leaders) will be here to live with the effects if it is allowed to go ahead. We are the one and we say no to it,” he stressed. Sir Arnold said from his assessment as a judge the court battle could take over three months before it is over. He said there had already been indications from the developer that if they were not allowed to go ahead with the DSTP there would be no project.
He said should this happen the Chinese, who were understood to be losing millions with the delay, would most probably leave and all the work they had done would go to waste.
Sir Arnold alluded to the fact that this could all be avoided if the necessary experts could put to rest all the doubts the people had, including those heading the charge against the company, and the case be withdrawn. “You (respondents) can withdraw the case or continue to pursue it, this is not being said to undermine your rights.
“I believe the way forward would be to ensure that more awareness is carried out while this is happening,” he said.
Kurumbukari landowner chairman David Tigavu cut in while Sir Arnold was concluding his address to the people to also appeal to the non-government organisations to withdraw the case.
Mr Tigavu said over the 85 days that the company had stopped work it had cost them $US85 million. He said if the project was forced to close down the people would suffer the most.
He urged that whatever their grievances were that they speak to the Governor and other leaders and just allow the project to progress.

Post Courier, June 16, 2010