The Immigration Taskforce has discovered anther one of many foreign operated shops in Lae City where Papua New Guineas work in slave like conditions for less thanthe minimum wage.
Salu trading has bakery employees who work barefoot in unsanitary conditions.
They had no rubber boots or ther safety gear. One ofthe workers said he had been askingthe manager to have windows built for ventilation for five years.
The workers saidthey raisedthe concerns withthe labor department but nothing was done.
Many are being paid K180.00 per fortnight that’s way belowthe minimum wage. They get no overtime, no transport assistance ifthey work late, andthey’re expected to work on public holidays attheir usual pay rate.
The manager was summoned to explain but he had very little to say.
His office is also where his sick wife is living and wherethe buns and cakes baked bythe workers are stored.
He was later taken in for interrogation.
Atthe Kamkumung branch ofthe same business, one employee who had no proper documents fled and hid inthe neighbour’s house whenthe taskforce team arrived. He had to be forced out at gun point.
So far, twenty arrests have been made yesterday.
Scott Waide, National EMTV News_LAE
https://youtube.com/watch?v=99HPZXX6EmY%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
