THE telecommunication crisis is yet to be resolved, but another potential strike action is looming.

This time it is the public servants who are planning a nationwide strike this week.

The Solomon Islands Public Employees Union general secretary Paul Belande had confirmed to the Solomon Star that all public servants across the country will walk off their jobs on Friday.

Already word is circulating like wild fire among public employees in Honiara about the upcoming strike.

Mr Belande refused to go into detail about the proposed strike but said there are some issues which are unresolved between workers and the Government.

However, sources within the Government said SIPEU is unhappy with the current Government’s performance and its failure to meet some of its members’ greviences. “One of SIPEU's unresolved claim is on the salary increase,” a source said.

"On top of that the current government miserably failed to fulfill some of its planned obligations which we, the workers, will feel and know if a certain government is not actively driving things forward.”

Sources said even ministers are not performing to the standard expected of them. "Such action would result in officers receiving no directives as to what to do,” a source said.

Sources said workers are expected to walk off their jobs on Thursday. “If the government failed to respond appropriately, then a strike will eventually follow suit on Friday,” a source said.

Solomon Star understands SIPEU had issued a 14-day strike notice to the government a couple of weeks ago to address their demand for salary increase which should lapse some this week.

Source: Solomonstar

The Parliamentary Opposition has called on the Prime Minister, Dr Derek Sikua to use his reserved powers under the country’s Telecommunication Act to end the telecommunication crisis besetting the country.

Leader of the Opposition Group, Manasseh Sogavare said the crisis has now entered another week and this only goes to demonstrate that the government is not taking a bold stand to resolve the dispute between the striking employees of the Our Telekom Company and the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Martyn Robinson.

Mr Sogavare said the Prime Minister, under the Solomon Islands Telecommunication Act is vested with the power to end the crisis by temporarily taking over Our Telekom Company in the occasion of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety.

The Leader of Opposition suggested that a practical step that must be taken by the Government is to immediately launch a Commission of Inquiry to investigate and establish why it has taken the board of NPF, the major shareholder in Our Telekom Company so long to resolve the industrial dispute.

He said, in the meantime the Government should issue an order for the temporary removal of Mr Robinson and another order for the return of the striking workers so as to restore normal telecommunication services to the nation.

Mr Manasseh Sogavare said the situation warranted a bold decision and action by the Government but it now appeared the CNURA Government has drastically failed in this regard.

Source: SIBC

PUBLIC servants are planning a nation-wide strike, a Solomon Islands Public Employees Union (SIPEU) source said.

The source said they were not happy with the Sikua Government’s leadership. He said Public Service minister Milner Tozaka on Tuesday summoned SIPEU General Secretary Paul Belande over the planned strike action.

Mr Belande confirmed meeting Mr Tozaka but declined to disclose the contents of their discussions. He could not confirm, nor deny, the planned strike action his Union was proposing. But the source said SIPEU was unhappy with Government ministers’ performance.

“They are performing below par,” the source said. He said SIPEU had given the Government a 14-day notice to perform and address their demand for a 49 per cent wage increase. The source said the notice will expire next week.

Source: Solomon Star

The Solomon Islands and the Samoan Governments are expected to start discussing soon compensation claims over the death the late 26-year old Hilda Ilibae, a trainee nurse, killed in a tragic road accident last Friday night.

The Police are investigating the fatal accident on the Ngossi road and the involvement of a Ramsi vehicle, believed to have been driven by a Samoan member of the PPF.

Interviews with various sources say that the office of the Director of the Public Prosecution (DPP) will lay charges against the Samoan-Ramsi officer, if the investigating police find enough evidence against him.

It is also understood that there are no provisions, in the Facilitation Act governing RAMSI's operations in Solomon Islands, which prevents the DPP from exercising his power in law to lay charges against the Samoan-Ramsi police officer. The only question in relation to the Facilitation Act will be whether the Samoan police officer will be tried here in the Solomon Islands or in Samoa.

Reliable sources have stated that since last Friday's fatal accident the Samoan Government has so far, not requested its officer to be repatriated back to Samoa to await the outcome of the police investigation into the accident.

The Commander of the RAMSI PPF Dennis McDermott and Acting Police Commissioner Peter Marshall met the family of the late Hilda last Saturday and the question of compensation was raised by the family.

McDermott said in a press conference yesterday that he gave an assurance to the family that he would facilitate discussions on the issue of compensation after the funeral, but that it was really a matter between the Solomon Islands and the Samoan Governments to address.

Source: Solomontimes

Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) yesterday named a training squad for the upcoming Wan Tok Cup from July 1 to 7 in Honiara.

This is a tournament between Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

SIFF General Secretary Eddie Ngava said he is hopeful the first Wantok Cup will become an annual event. "I'm hoping this is the start of regular competition between Melanesian soccer teams.

"We hope this will be the inaugural start of the Wantok Cup when each of the three countries will be having a competition on each of their countries independence days," he told Radio Australia Sport.

"We are hosting the first one here and then at the end of July hopefully going to Vanuatu to help with their celebrations, and then in September, to Papua New Guinea for their independence celebrations."

The three national teams will compete for The Wantok Cup on Jul 3, 5 and 7. Players for the training squad were selected from the Honiara Football Association DJ League, Top 8 and the recent National Club championship.

Those in the squad are asked to attend a meeting at the SIFF Academy 4.30pm today.
This is to explain the strategic plans for training the squad. Besides the players, SIFF also identified four coaches. They are: Luke Eroi, Masuaku Valere, Jacob Moli and Moses Toata.

Source: Solomon star