Work on major Chinese project in Solomons continues.
Updated
Striking workers at a major project to build a sports stadium and commercial centre in the Solomon Islands capital have returned to work. Workers of the China United Corporation have been on strike for more than a week over work safety concerns and other demands.
presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: General Secretary of the Solomon islands National Union of Workers, Tony Kagovai; Managing director of the China United Corporation project, Peter Liu
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SEKE: The multi-million dollar project which started in May last year, involves the construction of a rugby stadium and commercial facilities at Town Ground in Honiara.
The Chinese consortium had hoped to complete the project by the end of this year.
Earlier this week the project's managing director, Peter Liu said they would quit the project if the strike continued.
But the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers says while they appreciate the importance of the project, it must not be built under unsafe work practices.
However, Mr Liu says safety equipment have now been provided and the workers have returned to work.
LIU: The strike is over, we've already taken the case to the trade dispute panel and the people since yesterday have come back to work first. We keep talking in the dispute panel and I think the first hearing will be 1st of March.
SEKE: So the workers have actually started working again now?
LIU: The working people are like normal, we don't like people to disturb this project, even Solomons government support us for this project and Solomon Island people support this project. Now it's only trouble is from the union.
SEKE: The union's main concern here was the non-compliance of the work safety laws. Why won't you comply?
LIU: Certainly no, we complete, we already signed agreement, we agreed everything so from a safety issue it's no problem now.
SEKE: So you're providing them with safety equipment?
LIU: The equipment and everything, so we already signed that agreement this morning before the chairman of the panel.
SEKE: The Managing director of the China United Corporation project, Peter Liu.
The General Secretary of the National Union of Workers, Tony Kagovai says their main concern was the non-compliance with the work safety law.
KAGOVAI: The main issue is standard, the occupational health and safety at work. The safety guidelines at work are spelled out very clearly that the onus is on the employer to provide safety equipment like in any construction worksite you have to make sure that all employees must wear helmets, they're to wear safety boots, hand gloves, goggles, where it is proper, in the sense of the project like Tangara(?) there is no such thing provided to the workers since May last year.
SEKE: So what has been the response from the project managers towards your demands?
KAGOVAI: Naturally they are open, this is not mainland China, this is Solomon Islands, they have to comply with the laws of Solomon Islands.
SEKE: The matter has been referred to the trade disputes panel so I believe that under the law the striking workers should return to work so why haven't they?
KAGOVAI: No we have complied with the Section 10, we have called the workers to return to work, they are on site on the conditions that they are provided with them before they actually do the work.
SEKE: This is said to be one of the biggest public projects being undertaken in Solomon Islands right now and is said to be of great importance to the country and the China United Corporation which is building the project has threatened to pull out if the strike continues. So have you taken all this into consideration?
KAGOVAI: Of course I have no argument with that, this is a very important project, but it must not be built at the expense of the workers, unsafe practices.
