BY IRWIN ANGIKI
Ports workers will stage a sit-in strike today, Thursday, April 9, after negotiations between the Ports Authority (SIPA) and the Workers Union (WUSI) broke down this week.
A general meeting between Ports workers and WUSI yesterday reached the decision. The sit-in strike takes effect 12am last night.
SIPA had not shown commitment to negotiations, which saw the 14-day extension to the original 28-day strike notice lapse without any tangible resolution to the demands by the workers through WUSI.
The original strike notice was dated February 25, which was then extended by another 14 days on Tuesday, March 24.
The extension was to allow for further negotiations between the union and SIPA on the workers’ log of claims.
But, negotiations hit a snag when the SIPA CEO did not attend meetings during the 28-day strike notice and subsequent 14-day extension, instead sending the HR and lawyer who did not have authority that only the CEO has.
This stalled negotiations until the 14-day extension lapsed yesterday, April 8.
Speaking with Island Sun last night, General Secretary of WUSI Adrian Tuhanuku said all the SIPA workers agreed in their meeting yesterday to carry out the strike.
“The Ports workers will show up at the SIPA compound but will assemble at the Unity Square, they will withdraw their services,” the General Secretary said.
Mr Tuhanuku said all the issues raised by workers in the general meeting are divided into three submissions.
1. Log of claims accompanied by the strike notice.
2. Misconduct by some senior officers will be directed at the SIPA board requesting investigation.
3. Some item will be addressed direct to responsible ministers of finance and MID as oversight for SIPA.
The log of claims which the strike notice pertains to goes way back to 2018.
WUSI fought for the SIPA workers’ claims through three Chief Executive officers (CEO).
The first two CEOs had not recognised WUSI as a legitimate representative of the workers.
However, a secret ballot vote on March 17, 2025 saw 374 out of 383 workers choosing union representation by the Workers Union of Solomon Islands (WUSI).
Following this, SIPA was forced to sit with WUSI and dialogue over the workers’ claims, and the new CEO signed the recognition agreement of WUSI representing SIPA workers.
But, disagreement arose when SIPA demanded that the log of claims be back-dated to 2024. WUSI refused to budge and argued that the log of claims should be back-dated to 2018.
Failure to reach a compromise led to WUSI deciding to issue the 28-day strike notice on February 25, 2026.
Negotiations could not come up with resolutions and a 14-day extension was given, starting March 24.
One of the contributing factors to why negotiations failed is the slow and ‘time wasting’ pace of dialogue between WUSI and SIPA because SIPA was represented by its Human Resources Officer (HR) and lawyer.
These two personnel do not have authority to make decisions. This authority rests with the CEO.
During negotiation meetings, attendants would include WUSI officials, in-house committee members of SIPA workers and the SIPA HR and lawyer.
During the meetings a lot of items could not be decided on because the SIPA representatives did not have the authority to decide.
If the CEO was present, the decision on the items would have been made straight away because the CEO would give his decision there and then, WUSI secretary told Island Sun.
According to the February 25 strike notice, the workers’ claims include:
– Deliberate Avoidance and Delay of Settling negotiations on Terms & Conditions of Service of the Employees of SIPA.
– Preferential Award of Benefits to employees (eg. Education funds, Special advances, School fees, Bonus payment, Acting Allowance, etc)
– Salary Structure not reviewed since 2018
– Preferential appraisal
– Unfair and preferential disciplinary
– Sexual harassment
– Nepotism – current employment recruitment
– Covid allowance
Comments are being sought from SIPA.
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