PNGTUC calls for greater protection of women in workforce

The PNG Trade Union Congress has thrown its support behind women who face sexual harassment and intimidation in the work place - calling on relevant agencies to address this issue as a matter of top priority.

National women workers representative Wilma Kosi was speaking on the issue of an alleged sexual harassment case against Susan Joseph, by her supervisor in Ok Tedi Mining Limited.

Sitting side by side with Joseph at yesterday's media conference, Ms. Kosi expressed deep concerns about these allegations which have not been addressed by the mining giant when it happened in 2022.

The former mine supervisor was allegedly made redundant and then terminated after speaking out.

Ms. Kosi says the normalizing and acceptance of such behaviors is frightening - as it leads to discrimination and further harassment - and must end now.

" We all need to stand up together and say no to harassment and violence. As Papua New Guinean women and girls contribute as much as our male counterparts, in most cases even more through social and economic development of our country.

"Our needs, our concerns and security must be addressed by policy makers as a top priority. And I mean not just on paper, implementation and monitoring must take place. Assessment of such policies must be efficient, effective, transformative and inclusive."

Papua New Guinea signed and ratified various conventions on violence and discrimination in the work place, yet implementation is lacking.

Kosi says this include ratifying and signing Convention 111 and C190 - the Violence and Harassment convention in 1976.

"Which clearly stipulates that violence and harassment in the world of work is a range of unacceptable behaviors and practices that are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm and include gender base violence and harassment", Ms Kosi said.

"Labor market statistics must be able to measure that and report on it. Inspection mechanisms must be fully funded and technical expertise must be on the ground for that to happen.

"PNG has also ratified convention 018, the labor inspection convention and convention 144, the convention for tripartite consultation in September 2023. Let's use it as a tool to achieve our goals of standing up for liberty, dignity and justice for all. "

Meantime, calls have been made to urgently revisit and amend the Employment Act 1976 in order to have employee rights protected instead of the existing one, which is more in favour of employers.

Acting General Secretary of the PNG Trade Union congress Anton Sekum says the various conventions on violence and discrimination in the workplace that PNG subscribed to are not translated into law.

He adds that the country's system failed to modernise key labor legislation to protect women, the weak and the disadvantaged:

" Today you can be sacked, the employer doesn't need to give you a warning notice or tell you the grounds you are going to be sacked on. The right to hire a client solely rest with the employer and that is how the Act is designed.

"So, it is important to see ILO convention 190 in that line, it brings in the new standards to fill those voids that we have. You can learn from the story that there's nothing you can do if you are in a master servant situation. You are the servant you can't speak against the master.

"Why is the master so powerful, because the legislation empowers him. The country needs to see this. This needs to be blown out so that our leaders whatever they do must fast track changes, amendments to the law rather than passing legislation to protect themselves, pass legislation to protect our weak, protect our workers", Mr Sekum said.

Ms. Joseph’s case was referred for mediation after the mining giant sought court orders to restrain her from speaking to the media about her issue.