Hon. Benjamin poponawa, Minister for labour and industrial relation-Statement,signing of the MOU

29/04/2014


HON. BENJAMTN POPONAWA, MP
Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations - PNG
monday 28 April 2014
.
Suva, Fiji
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Statement by Hon. Benjamin Poponawa, MP Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations on the occasion of the signing of the MOU Extension on Occupatin Safety and Health with the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment of Fiji,

Mr. Jone Usamate, Minister for Labour, Industrial
Relations and Employment of Fiji,

Mr. David Lamotte, Director of ILO, Office of the Pacific
Island countries,

Your Excellency, Ms. Hera Kevau, Acting PNG High
Commissioner to Fiji,

Mr. Taito Waqa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour,
Industrial Relations and Employment of Fiji,

Senior Fiji officials from other State agencies, particularly
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation,

Employers and workers representatives of Fiji,

Distinguished guests and Ladies & gentlemen.

From the outset, I wish to express, on behalf of the
Government of Papua New Guinea, its Ministry and
Department of Labour and Industrial Relations and the
people of New Guinea, our most sincere and
deepest appreciation to the Government of the Republic
of Fiji, its Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and
Employment and the people of Fiji for once again
extending to my delegation your famous friendly warm
welcome and hospitality and the usual kind courtesies as
you host us during our stay here for this occasion on the
signing of the third Mou extension on osH technical
cooperation.

Minister Usamate,

We have gathered here this evening to witness the
signing of the third MOU extension to facilitate
cooperation between our two countries in the area of
occupational safety and health. Whilst this may appear
to be a small event, its ramifications are quite significant
and huge indeed.

The signing of this third MOU extension on OSH Technical
Coopeiation between our two great countries, give
meaning to the efforts placed by the ILO in promoting the
World Day on Occupational Safety and Health, to which
we have promoted and taken it to another level by
engaging in bilateral relations, wherein your Ministry of
Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, with its
effective and modern approaches will be able to apply
these OSH Management systems to improve PNG's
legislations, systems and practices.

Papua New Guinea as a member state of the
International Labour Organization (ILO) joins other world
countries in observing the ILO world day for safety and
health in the use of chemicals at work. In
commemorating this important day, Papua New Guineas
commitment to ensure for everyone, the right to work in
freedom, dignity, and security which includes the right to
a safe and healthy working environment must be
promoted and sustained at all work places and at all
levels of occupation.

Not only does this MOU extension further enhances the
existing cordial bilateral relations that our two countries
have always enjoyed, it particularly signifies that the
countries of the pacific isrands and MSG need not look too
far, to seek and solicit much-needed assistance and
support in anY given field.

The signing of this MOU extension also compliments the
on-going dialogue and cooperation between the MSG
countries in various areas, including crime, cuStoms,
extradition , irn mig ration, bio diversity, fisheries,
surveillance & monitoring, labour mobility and others.

Minister Usamate,

As you are aware, Papua New Guinea's existing
legisiations in the field of occupational safety and health
and its related areas were adopted during the colonial era
when Papua New Guinea was administered by Australia.
Therefore, today these legislations are obsolete and
outdated, as they do not suit the modern and everchanging
working environment and workplace practices.

The use of chemicals at workplaces including existing and
new large scale resource projects also give rise to the
need to amend and consolidate the old legislations and
incorporate them into a new legislation. Ideally, the need
for legislative reforms also became very obvious when
work began on the huge liquefied natural gas (LNG)
project in Papua New Guinea.

A lot of issues and concerns including the use of highly
sophisticated technology and substances surfaced as
Papua New Guinea progressed through the different
phases of development of the LNG project. The task that
the Ministry and Department of Labour & Industrial
Relations and their stakeholders face in addressing the
use of chemicals and related work place issues and
others are indeed challenging.

Therefore, Minister, the timely intervention and continued
gesture by the Government of Fiji, through your Ministry
to positively respond to my Ministry and Department's
request for your continued assistance, to facilitate with
the ongoing consultation process, and therefore to sign
this third MOU extension today, is one for which the
Government and people of Papua New Guinea are
extremely grateful.

We have shown today, the special relations and bonds
that exist between our two countries and peoples. We
have showed what it means for a brother to lend a
helping hand to another brother when assistance is
needed. We have witnessed the noble principles of
Melanesian brotherhood and solidarity at work today.
Indeed it is moments like this that make us proud to be
Melanesians.

Minister Usamate,

I wish to further express appreciation on your Ministry's
inclusion of this partnership between PNG and Fiji in its
2014 Corporate Plan. We have got the ball rolling to
facilitate and implement the OSH MOU.

Let us also note our close affiliations with the ILO, which
made the progression of the process of establishing
dialogue and consultation, which subsequently led to the
signing of the initial MOU in 2011, easy. As the guiding
global agency for decent and productive work at the
workplaces, the impetus placed on making the MOU
realistic is attributed to the ILO's agenda for change in
the world of work, to which we are signatories to,
through the implementation of our national Decent Work
Country Programmes.

This bilateral partnership will be seen as a way forward
and example for other Countries in the region to follow
suit in implementing the Decent Work Action Plan for
Pacific Island countries, which was endorsed in Port Vila
in 2010 by the Pacific Islands Labour Ministers.

Mr. Minister,

In conclusion, I join you in commending our two sets of
Labour Ministry and Department officials for their
continued hard work in facilitating consultations,
negotiations and arrangements to enable the signing of
the previous and this third OSH MOU extension today.

Accordingly, I call on our officials to continue to
collaborate and cooperate positively in this important
area of occupational safety and health, with close
consultations with the important stake-holders like the
ILO, and the social partners to enable better working
environments and conditions for our people and the
overall growth and development of respective countries.

Thank you very much.