By PATRICK SAKAL
MORE than 2,000 affected workers from the Porgera Mine have slammed government over not providing relief funds during a prolonged mine closure period.
The Porgera Gold Mine was closed early this year following the national government’s decision to shut down the mine after the investor, Barrick Niugini’s 30 year mining license expired.
This resulted in the loss of income for the state as well as regular income for the former 2,822 mine workers who are copping adversely with its impact for nearly a year.
Porgera Mine Allied Workers Union (PMAWU), President Dassil Mangapen said this affected the livelihood of the workers’ families and depletion of their retirement savings impairing their financial security on retirement.
Mangapen told Sunday Bulletin on Wednesday in Port Moresby that the mine workers were badly affected as the government’s promised Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) funds and other monetary solace submission were not honored as well.
The president said nothing of these commitments have been materialized.
He said the uncertainty of future employment is an added concern as the developer and State have yet to concretely agree on a framework to reopen the mine.
The PMAWU general secretary, Meck Minnala expressed similar sentiments saying that it is the employees that make the mine’s wheels turn and the workers who make the country’s economy run.
Minnala said a responsible government should never leave the workers high, dry and hanging.
“The government’s intention for increased share of equity for landowners and the government was a noble decision.
However, the consequences for not managing the decision responsibly has affected the livelihoods and survivability of those directly impacted like our workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister James Marape has assured the country last Friday during FM 100 talk back show that he remained committed to his ‘Take Back PNG’ policy to ensure resource owners should get greater share of equity than the investors.
Marape said his government understood the Porgera mine workers have lost their employment and the country lost revenues as well.
“They were critically affected but as government we will quickly intervene after we remedy the politically unstable situation now,” he said.