The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions (SITCU) will be announcing a range of actions it would pursue in a national campaign against the recent awarding of tax-free salaries to Members of Parliament (MPs).
This would will be done through an external live broadcast in Honiara on Tuesday afternoon.
A statement issued yesterday said, this is to publicly announce a range of actions SICTU is planning to take.
The statement added the actions were agreed to by the leaders of eleven (11) affiliates of SITCU.
“This was agreed to during a meeting last Friday on its planned campaign comprising of the presidents and general secretaries of SICTU’s affiliates.”
The external live broadcast is going to take place between 4pm and 6pm tomorrow afternoon, broadcasting from the SMI compound, Townground.
“The final details of the broadcasting program and which radio stations will be involved will be finalised soon and the live broadcast will feature interviews and commentary from trade union leaders as well as from members of the public,” according to the SICTU president David Tuhanuku.
Mr Tuhanuku explained that SICTU leaders do not question or criticise the decision of the Solomon Islands Court of Appeal or the legality of the decision taken by the PEC.
“Increasing salaries of MPs is not the issue of contention to SICTU, but rather the unfairness of awarding tax free salaries to highly paid MPs, while everybody else including very low paid workers continues to pay tax on their salaries.
SICTU just want to make sure that the Solomon Islands Constitution is not used in anyway to protect unfair and biased political decisions such giving highly paid MPs tax free salaries, while the ordinary working people of Solomon Islands, who are struggling against the odds to make ends meet, day in and day out, have to continue paying tax on their meager salaries,” Mr Tuhanuku said.
SICTU is working through the executive of its affiliates to invite their members to attend the live broadcast as union leaders and some of their members will be given the opportunity to address the issue in this proposed live broadcast.
– SICTU Press Statement
