4 Sep 2007

Efforts to end strike at PNG goldmine

8:47 am on 4 September 2007

As the Papua New Guinea Government and management at the huge Lihir gold mine in New Ireland work to end a strike by disgruntled workers, a trade union leader says such action was always likely.

The Mining Minister Dr Puka Temu says around forty staff using heavy machinery managed to block access to the mine and have stopped mining activity for several days.

He says government labour officials are helping to resolve grievances which he understands include expatriates receiving higher pay for the same work.

Meanwhile, John Paska, who heads PNG's Trade Union Congress, says the action comes as no surprise given the tough anti- union stance adopted by Lihir Gold Ltd.

"PLAY AUDIO:PNG TREAT"

IN:......The fact that this has culminated in a strike doesn't come as a surprise at all to us. In fact, you have got to give credit to the workers for having to endure all this time, until now, before they finally took action on their own. Given the manner in which the company has treated the workers over there this strike could have occurred some time back.

OUT:...

DUR:...