HONIARA (Pacnews) — The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions has issued a 28-day strike notice against the government, effective from yesterday.
Demanding an immediate audience with Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza to discuss their differences, SICTU is seeking to block the appointment of two expatriate consultants to the position of permanent secretary with the Finance Ministry and to the Cabinet.
SICTU said the two are already working as consultants to donor funded projects in the country. It insists that hiring them to government positions would set a dangerous precedent.
The notice also called on government to abandon plans to sack the Agriculture Ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Morgan Wairiu, for his public outburst against government’s proposal to dump toxic waste on Makira Island.
The umbrella union body maintained that Wairiu was only addressing the concerns of the public and is qualified to do so.
SICTU said it has sought the assistance of a number of international organizations to assist them in their action against government, should the sackings go ahead.
In related news, employees of the Honiara City Council vowed to work off their jobs at the end of the week if their salaries are not paid by Friday.
The group, mostly nurses, have not received their wages for the past three paydays. The nurses are paid through a government grant handled by the Council.
