By Rachel Shisei – EMTV News, Madang
A conference between the Ramu Nickel Mine’s Management and the Mine’s National Workers Union Executives eventuated at the Madang Provincial Government office today, chaired by the Department of Industrial Relations Labor Representative, Philip Wori.
The conference was to allow for a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be reached between the national workers and the mine’s management, following their stop work strike last month, to have Chinese nationals repatriated.
Wori handed a summary of the draft MOAs of both the management and the national workers to both parties, to be read through tonight and be agreed or disagreed on before a final MOA can be reached when the conference reconvenes tomorrow.
Meantime, word from the Worker’s Union President, Justin Mende, is that the union executives attending the conference talks haven’t been paid, since they are away from work and not clocked in and recognised as working.
The executives, including Mende, along with three representatives of the Basamuk Refinery and four from the Kumbrukari Mine site are unsure of whether they will be paid while away. Also in attendance is the Provincial Labor Officer, Peter Nemani.
