THE PNG Banks and Financial Institution Workers Union (PNGB&FIWU) has strongly condemned the actions of NDB (National Development Bank) management who recently terminated two union members on account of their membership with the Union.
The two union members are managers of NDB ; a male member who is an executive of the NDB branch of the Union whilst the other union member is a senior female manager.
The General Secretary of the PNG Banks and Financial Workers Union Vera Raga said in a statement today that the termination of the two Union members is a direct infringement of workers Universal and Constitutional rights to form and join trade union organisations. Section 47 of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea as well as ILO convention 98 and Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives workers the right to form and join a trade union organisation.
“The actions of NDB management demonstrate blatant disregard for workers welfare and abiding by good industrial practice. The injuring of employees on account of being a member of the Union is an offence under section 63 of the Industrial Relations Act. As a background, the PNGBFIWU has throughout the early part of this year registered more than 100 of the employees of NDB including the two terminated members and had written and forewarned NDB that it (Union) intends to lodge a log of claims in a draft industrial agreement thereafter,” Mr Raga said.
Mr Raga said fortunately employee’s deductions for Union members have been honoured.
“The draft industrial agreement was lodged with management today in line with government policy to allow collective bargaining to finally happen at NDB. NDB staff terms and conditions have not been reviewed for the last 6 to 7 years due to neglect by the powers that be. The Union and its members in lodging the draft industrial agreement are simply trying to organise to engage with NDB management in the collective bargaining process.
“The termination of the two union members by NDB management was purportedly based on retrenchment however, the Union argues that the termination is rather a direct result of Union’s push to pursue improved terms and conditions of employment at the workplace and address other governance issues at NDB.
“Most corporate organisations by virtue of best practice have sound policies for exit based on retrenchment but retrenchment therefore does not happen overnight and follows detailed prerequisites including retraining, redeployment and opportunity for the nominee for retrenchment to accept or refuse the retrenchment offer.
“There is even an appeal process if an employee earmarked for retrenchment is aggrieved by the decision to be retrenched. This process of retrenchment is normally on a tripartite basis where you have employee and employer reps as well as labour officials (normally the secretary or his delegate) to have a casting vote. There is dialogue to ensure any retrenchment is not tainted with a personal vendetta but is based on real business need rather than at the whim of the employer. The timing of the terminations gives the Union every reason to argue that the termination of the two members of the Union was cold, calculated and a ruthless but sinister plot to suppress workers’ rights at the workplace.
“The actions of NDB portray an institution that has serious governance issues since the retrenchment was all of a sudden cooked up overnight with an ulterior motive of suppressing workers’ rights. Retrenchments normally coincide with restructures and positions been abolished or made redundant.
“The Union suspects that the positions of the two union members have not been made redundant and the notice of redundancy is misleading and flawed in that it is inconsistent with fact on the ground. The actions of NDB management clearly demonstrate a desperate attempt to suppress workers from engaging in collective bargaining hence the timing of the termination of the two Union members.
“The Union therefore calls on the board and management of NDB to reinstate the two terminated staff to quell the industrial disputes that is now looming,” Mr Raga said.