Police personnel nationwide have been called on to prepare for the next course of action regarding their outstanding payments.
In a press briefing today, the Police Association of Papua New Guinea says the outstanding APEC allowance is only a recent problem.
The Association outlined major longstanding issues that are yet to be addressed.
The first issue involves the service allowance as per the Enterprise Based Agreements that has not been honoured since 2010. The total amount owed to police personnel nationwide, as per these EBAs, is K90 million, and the amount is increasing every fortnight.
“We were sympathetic with the Government because we know i nogat mani lo kofas blo gavman bilong Papua Niu Gini,” said General Secretary, Clemence Kanau. “We entered into some agreement; gentlemen’s agreement, eventually into enterprise agreement that as soon as money is ready, it will be paid to police men and women.
“It’s very worrying because as union, breaches of agreement amount to industrial confrontation. And these allowances are spelled out in the signed enterprise agreement.”
These agreements, which legally bind together the State, through the Department of Personnel Management, the Police Department and the PNG Police Association, significantly emphasise that service allowance is paid progressively until a new agreement supersedes them.
Outstanding insurance premium is another longstanding issue where the Police Association is concerned with its members’ plight as many have not been accorded a decent burial, not funded repatriation costs or made available quality medical facilities.
The State owes the insurance firm K2.7 million for 2018.
“Right now as I speak, there are still police officers in the mortuary right across the country,” said national president Lowa Tambua.
“Those bodies haven’t been moved, families are waiting.”
The president said they have written as well as met with the concerned departments but nothing has been forthcoming.
“Our mobile squad, lusim meri, pikinini nating nating na i go, for years they haven’t been getting their allowances,” Tambua stated.
“The police union says ‘enough is enough’.”
Tambua says he will be meeting with the PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services to get their input on the issue of the outstanding K300 APEC allowance as well as backdated allowance of the disciplinary forces.
They will then wait for the Government’s response before deciding on their next course of action.
(Police Association General Secretary, Clemence Kanau, left, with national president Lowa Tambua, right)