UNIONS AGAINST STATE OF EMERGENCY ON PNG POWER

The Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress has described the State of Emergency on PNG Power as unnecessary and laughable and should be lifted.

PNGTUC General Secretary, John Paska told NBC News on Wednesday, the S-O-E is setting a bad precedence on government institutions, as it only promotes incapability and incompetency for state institutions and should be disregarded.

He further said the current problem with PNG Power is an administrative issue, and there is no need to declare an emergency in order to collect debts which have been incurred over many years.

Paska adds, from past experiences, a state of emergency always infringe on individual human democratic rights, and has warned the government to be very diligent when taking such measures.

"Irrespective of how this state of emergency may be justified.Question is not what happens now but rather what happens tomorrow.What are the consequences of such actions.Money maybe recouped now but the question is, at what price to our democracy now and in the future.What are we setting the precedence for and who are we setting precedence for.In addition, state of emergencies always have the propensity of trespassing on individual, human and democratic rights, unions all around the world have had a long history that is littered with brutal accounts of blatant abuse and suppressing of workers rights.We therefore never take state of emergencies lightly at all.So I think this is unnecessary exercise which paints none necessary blemish on a record of the government that is intend to bringing in about development and its action that the government to press very very careful on and probably move very fast to lift".

Meantime, a coalition of union, including the PNG Energy Workers Union, PNG National Airlines Association and others also met yesterday (Wednesday 14-01-15) and went against the concept of the State of Emergency declared on electricity services.

PNG Today/NBC