By Theckla Gunga – EMTV News, Port Moresby
At least 20 local employees of Paladin Solutions, the international company providing security services for asylum seekers in Manus, have been staging a sit-in protest since Tuesday, 26th February. They claim they are being paid low hourly rates, and the company doesn’t pay them overtime.
Paladin Solutions, Australian Company that has made headlines on Australian media about the $143 million Australian dollar contract on Manus Island, is now making headlines on the local news.
Paladin employees from Manus Province working at the three refugee camps as security guards, walked off their jobs on Tuesday 26th February after claiming their grievances were not met.
The local employees presented a four-page petition containing a list of concerns to Paladin Solution in attempts to negotiate the increase in their hourly rates and better treatment at the workplace.
Paladin Solutions is one of the biggest employers of locals in Manus Province.
Since registering as a security company in 2011, Paladin Solutions has expanded into providing other services like facility management and IT.
Since the sit-in protest, no major incidents have been reported.
