Nauru worker reportedly sacked on government directive

Transcript

A suspended opposition MP in Nauru says it's shameful that a foreign company like Broadspectrum should cave in to government demands to sack an employee.

Broadspectrum runs Australia's regional processing centre on the island and it sacked Corey Menke without any explanation, saying it was a directive from the government.

Mr Menke is one of a group of prospective election candidates who are challenging the government's fee hike, which they say prevents any opposition running in next month's election.

Mr Menke said he simply asked for a payrise - $4.25 AUD an hour can't meet the cost of living in Nauru. He says Broadspectrum told him the government wouldn't allow that as it won't have local workers earning more than its public servants. Mr Menke had also joined 17 others in a legal bid to stop the government increasing the election nomination fee from $100 to $2000 Australian dollars. He says he knows that both reasons led to his sacking but his managers didn't have so many clues.

They don't actually know what reason for this thing to happen. They just said it's a directive from the government. They came over to apologise and said they cannot do nothing. It's not them, it's not Broadspectrum, it's the government.

But Mathew Batsiua, an MP who is currently suspended from the parliament, says it's a disgrace that there was no due process or any opportunity for review.

Just simply saying 'we've been directed, so therefore you're out the door', that's simply not good enough and you would think that a company from Australia like Broadspectrum would have greater respect for the rights of employees. I'm sure that if it's in Australia they wouldn't have done that, they wouldn't be able to do that.

Mathew Batsiua says Corey Menke is not the only person singled out for retribution for his role in the application. He says an employee at the ministry of foreign affairs who is also a co-applicant is now feeling the ire of the government.

I hear that he is currently under the microscope and is facing disciplinary charges by the public service for partaking in a legal challenge, and to me that's another example of the kinds of actions of this government that speaks against democracy and fairness.

While it hasn't responded to requests for comment on the sacking, Broadspectrum says the government hasn't intervened on the issue of pay. It provided this statement in writing:

We have received no formal correspondence or direction from the Government of Nauru in relation to employee wages. Town Hall meetings were recently held in Nauru with employees including locals and expats, facilitated by senior onshore managers, at which wages were raised and Broadspectrum undertook to review them.

But a former justice minister, David Lambourne, says the developments are nothing new.

Broadpsectrum are as beholden to the government as anybody in the country. They've had some of their expatriate staff booted at the request of the Nauru government as well. So it's not unexpected in any way and depressingly predictable.

Mathew Batsiua says he refuses to be intimidated by a government that stopped being democratic a long time ago.

They need to grow thicker skin, this government, because it seems like every criticism they cannot hack and they take action to silence those criticisms.

Corey Menke says he will look for more work, but the sacking has come at a tough time - when he is trying to raise the exorbitant funds to stand in the election. While he remains upbeat and talks about a new future government, David Lambourne says time is simply running out for new candidates and the election could be held as early as next month.