Workers told to go back home

Around 74 workers who arrived in Vanimo today on a Lutheran Shipping vessel to work at Bewani Oil Palm were told to return to their home provinces due to a lack of proper recruitment arrangements between Bewani Oil Palm and the landowner groups.

Deputy Chairman of the Bewani Oil Palm Development Limited Felix Pio says the Bewani Palm Oil Limited should have consulted them before making this recruitment.

"There are no proper consultations between the Bewani Palm Oil Development Limited and its developer Bewani Oil Palm Plantation Limited to make such recruitments, BOPPl must always consult BPODL before making a decision that will affect the landowner groups"

"Anything to do with the employment of outsiders consult me, this is my land, and my right to know who is coming to work in my land," Mr Pio said.

The workers were told to remain in the ship by the police led by the Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Patrick Billy until arrangements are done by the Bewani Palm Oil Limited and the Provincial Government to send them back to their Provinces.

The management of Bewani Oil Palm says the workers that arrived are from Ramu Oil Palm and are skilled in the field of oil palm plantation work.

They said the decision to send them back was not from Bewani Oil Palm but from the Sandaun Provincial Government and they respect the government of the day.