PNG rise and support your union now...

PAPUA New Guinea...Rise and support your union now! Wow! I must have woken up from a bad dream? Well I am fully awake. As I am lying down here in my humble bed looking out my window and watching my beautiful Mount Wikauma across the mighty Wahgi River gorge, I can’t help noticing the Post Courier from across the floor of my bed room and yes it is true!

Ten million kina. Gone to the politicians at the snap of a finger. Sir Mekere, Bart Philemon, Francis Awesa, Mal Kela-Smith, Bob Danaya, Puka Temu, do I get it that you six have voted for this rubbish? Gees you are no different to the rest! Or are you? In the life of me I can never conceivably understand how greed and selfishness of 109 minority few weaves a net of blindness that obliterates common sense, common decency and dignity that makes transparency and accountability a laughing stock for crying out loud.

The politicians have voted themselves a rise of K10 million! They are continuing to loot the wealth of the country as they have been doing for the last 40 years period!What have the politicians got to offer this country in real terms to justify such a ridiculous rise?Whether you are a subsistence farmer, a fisherman, a PMV operator, a local trader, a youth leader, a community leader, a policeman or woman, a soldier, a correctional officer, a teacher, a doctor or nurse, a lawyer, an academic, a simple public servant, a lay pastor or a dweller of the fringes of the cities.

Whoever you are, whatever you are. Now is the time, a time for reckoning, a time for the suffering six million majority of Papua New Guinea to arise and challenge the thieving minorities who dwell at the Haus Tambarans. We must all rise and rally behind our unions and say: Enough is enough!

– Dr Kristoffa Ninkama
Wikauma South Chimbu

Rally and push for what we rightfully deserve

I call on the trade unions and association members throughout the country to rally behind their union executives and the PNGTUC for the push for what they rightfully deserve.They need their salary increase and housing allowance similarly to that of the MPs and the heads of department and statutory bodies.

Some politicians and their departmental heads are merely there for a five-year term and below while career public servants have been in the system for 10, 20 to 30 years without a better salary and other remunerations or terms and conditions. I would also call for the student bodies to throw their undivided support because after all, when they complete their universities, colleges and schools, some will soon end up there with them.

The masses of the work force especially in the public sector are fed up and saying, enough is enough to those greedy and selfish leaders and to bureaucrats. I urge them to make the right move for a worthy cause as I believe the hour has arrived to express their rights. They cannot hold onto their frustration any longer. As a strong grassroots rights advocate, I urge all unions in the country to go for it as everyone is right behind your actions.

I believe this is for a worthy cause for the benefit of the ordinary Papua New Guineans, yourselves and the future generations.We are sick and tired of MPs getting richer and fatter and you name it while we the people are scraping everywhere to earn something in our pockets to survive each night. Give us the same treatment.

– Steven S. Palisa

The above articles are from the editorial of the Post Courier


*** I think it's about time we collectively stand behind the unions, non-governmental groups, and concerned Papua New Guineas to oppose this erroneous increase in perks and privileges for the so called pot-bellied politicians and their cohorts who have done nothing for the last 33 years to the development of our nation.

All they know is to plunder and steal from the government coffers under the pretext of development. It's a sorry state for The Land of the Unexpected! I hope some of these so called leaders wake up from their long nap and travel to some of the remote parts of Papua New Guinea to see for themselves how life is like at these places.