Union slams PNG govt over employment provisions

21/11/2008 08:16:26

Papua New Guinea's largest Workers Union has criticised the government over delays in helping 2000 workers with employment at the US naval base in Guam.

The US Navy is seeking to employ around 10,000 skilled and unskilled workers at its new base in Guam.

Two thousand of them are supposed to come from PNG, but the president of the Public Employees Association, Michael Malabag, says the government has been slow to react.

"I think it's pure laziness of government officials not to come and disseminate that information to the ministers concerned or the government concerned so they can take this issue up immediately," he said.

Employees at the Guam base stand to earn up to $US15 per hour - 50 times PNG's minimum wage.

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