RD TUNA Terminates Workers

It is now confirmed that the RD Tuna has terminated 257 of the 505 of its workers that were on strike last week. The other 258 workers were reinstated. The reason why the others were terminated is because they had a poor record of attendance in previous years. This seems unfair to the workers because RD Tuna should not use the issue of workers going on strike as an excuse to get rid them. Having that strike to is something totally different. That strike should not be counted as workers missing work, NO; it was because of the company’s fault that those workers had to go on strike. They were fighting for what they were supposed to get in-line with the Labour laws of this country. The termination of the 257 workers is just another example for a foreign multinational corporation suppressing and undermining the rights of the workers who are Papua New Guineas. Where is the government in all these?

RD Tuna Security Force Women Inside RD Plant

Monday evening saw the night shift at RD Tuna support the day shift workers in calling for the the fair minimum wage of K2.29 per hour which RD has so far failed to pay their workers. Provincial Labor Officer Peter Neimani told the RD workers last week that indeed RD was in violation of the law by now paying the workers the K2.29 minimum wage. Neimani says RD must back pay the workers from 21 January to present.

The RD workers are also calling for the reinstatement of 489 workers who were under "Preventive Suspension". The 489 had there ID cards taken by RD security for no complaining that the minimum wage of K2.29 was not in their pay packets last week. RD once again lied saying the workers were not producing so they were being sacked.

Monday morning saw the workers walk out of RD in support of their fellow workers on the day shift. Night shift workers also supported the workers by not coming to work. A few of the workers did show up but decided NOT to go inside the plant. This upset Paul Vingu the RD Security Manager who forced the women to go inside the plant. As the women were forced in the plant - RD male RD workers were yelling at Vingu and the security team. A frightened Vingu called the police to come to RD. As the police arrived RD workers fled.

So this is what it comes to huh Pete Celso. Don't pay people their RIGHTFUL Minimum Wage, try to sack those who demand what is LEGALLY theirs, and have your cowardly Security Manager FORCE women in the plant.

Mr. Celso must be feeling quite proud of himself these days.

To the workers of RD FULL SUPPORT. Continue to Stand Up For Your Rights..

Empty RD Vehicles Bringing In Night Shift Workers Were Almost Empty as can be seen from the picture below:

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.