WORKERS Union of Solomon Islands has extended its 28 day strike notice to the Solomon Islands Ports Authority last week.
This comes as the first 28-day strike notice issued to SIPA on Friday 10 January has lapsed on Thursday 6th February.
In a letter to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIPA, Eranda Kotelawala on 5th February, WUSI Secretary, Adrian Tuhanuku said they are extending the strike commencement to allow negotiation and arbitration to continue.
The strike notice is relating to SIPA’s failure to provide workers with their COVID-19 allowances, a 3.5 per-cent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and bonuses from the previous year.
However, there is an ongoing court case between SIPA and WUSI that complicates the situation.
Mr Tuhanuku explained that the legal dispute arose after the SIPA CEO refused to recognise WUSI as a representative body for the workers, following the deregistration of the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers (SINUW).
SIPA workers were formerly members of SINUW, which was deregistered as a trade union by the High Court on 30 January 2014.
The Russells Islands Plantations Estate Limited (RIPEL) initiated the deregistration process and the employer seized and sold the union building to settle related matters.
Despite these challenges, Mr Tuhanuku stated that WUSI had signed a collective agreement with SIPA workers that outlines both long-term and short-term issues requiring resolution.
However, the SIPA CEO declined to negotiate with WUSI, citing the absence of a signed recognition agreement between the union and the workers.
As a result, WUSI took the matter to court, seeking a resolution.
Solomon Star understands, SIPA lawyer Gabriel Suri has responded to the first strike notice issued by WUSI last month.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
