THE Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) will conduct a secret ballot voting for its employees both in Honiara and Noro in Western Province, to determine their membership in the Workers Union of Solomon Islands (WUSI).
This follows a ruling by the Trade Dispute Panel (TDP) on Wednesday.
WUSI Secretary Adrian Tuhanuku stated that the TDP has set a 14-day timeframe to complete the secret ballot voting process.
He said after this period, the panel will make a declaration based on the vote’s outcome, determining whether workers want WUSI to represent them.
Nevertheless, Mr Tuhanuku emphasised that WUSI’s 28-day strike notice remains in effect, allowing the Minister of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration to continue mediation while the TDP conducts the ballot.
SIPA’s Legal Counsel Gabriel Suri said the primary issue raised during the TDP hearing was the recognition agreement.
“Unless there is a recognition agreement, I have no obligation to negotiate with WUSI,” he said.
“To resolve this recognition issue, the panel will conduct a secret ballot to determine if WUSI has the majority support of SIPA employees.”
Mr Suri also pointed out that legally, union recognition is just one factor in negotiations.
He added that another key factor is whether the union has the capacity to represent and support the workers.
“SIPA informed the panel that they cannot negotiate with WUSI due to the ongoing strike notice. This violates Section 10 of the Trade Dispute Panel regulations,” Mr Suri said.
The TDP hearing on Wednesday was based on a referral made by WUSI against SIPA Chief Executive Officer Eranda Kotelawala for refusing to negotiate with WUSI, which has represented SIPA workers since 2019.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
