Union leaders raise concerns

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 19, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

DESPITE their general support of the establishment of Link PNG under the Air Niugini portfolio- union leaders of the Engineers Association and National Air Pilots Union have raised concerns of the timeframe and particulars of the establishment of the new airline.

Aircraft Engineers Association President Geoffrey Atiken raised concerns that with the short timeframe before the November date set for Link PNG to begin operations, a lot uncertainty remains with the actual particular of how the arrangement of the movement of staff to the new establishment and the benefits arrangement.

“With engineering, the announcement doesn’t really affect us as we will still provide services to both organizations- the only concern for us will be in terms of the entitlements,” Atiken said.

“So with engineering, the detail of the plans I am not really sure because the company is going to be privatized and now this one is going to happen before the actual privatization takes place.”

He said that with the new arrangement they were in need of more manpower as the current engineers were struggling as a result of the loss of experienced staff both overseas and to other airline.

“A lot of the engineers have left the company and are now working in Australia, Arab Emirates, same with the pilots as well,” he pointed out.

“Since they have left we have not really got anybody new- the only people we can get are from other airlines, because as you know there is no training facility in PNG, the last one was in Pom Tech and it was closed years ago.”

Most of the engineers now are trained overseas and we have about 30 plus in New Zealand, and when they come back the training will continue.

Atiken, however, welcomed announcements by the company to build a new hanger facility to enable home based training for the aircraft engineers.

National Air Pilots union representative Clark Piokole raised the issue of capacity and the salary structures currently in place.

“We started dialogue recently, like Geoff said we are not affected as much but the question is that what will happen now that we have split, in terms of crews, seniority numbers, all benefits, how does it all happen,” Piokole said.

“Are we still all employed under the Air Niugini salaries scheme- the operation might be different but then who pays us now- there are quiet a few questions and I feel in this meeting that we have gone too fast, those are my thoughts.”

He added that the idea had always been there where they wanted to put in place feeder planes based in major center to service all the smaller airports.

“The overall idea I think it is good, when that happens for the customers I think it is a good idea,” he said.

“The selling of shares must remain within locals and not overseas, because in the plus side since we are contributors to NasFund (National Superannuation Fund) and if they take out a stake in Air Niugini we become shareholders and part owners.”

“We just need the assurance that we will not be kicked around the place.”

Both unions maintain that high emphasis and focus must be on safety, which they said was the pride of the airline.