Logging

JANT workers protest for just compensation

By Patrick Matbob

Niangum unable to work.

More than 400 workers at the Jant logging company base camp at Gogol about 100 kms from Madang held a stop work for three days last month. They were protesting the long delays in some of their work mates being compensated for injuries received at work. At least one worker has been waiting for 20 years to be paid.

“I was badly injured and I thought I was going to die,” said Junior Balem, a former chainsaw operator with the company. Balem was injured twice; first in 1985 and again in 1999.

In 1985 Balem was cutting the branch of a tree with a chainsaw when the branch snapped. He lost his balance and fell three metres to the ground landing amongst some logs. The chainsaw, which was still running, came roaring down after him. He managed to move his head away as the saw ripped through the flesh of his left arm. Luckily for Balem, the chainsaw faltered and stopped before causing any more damage. Balem managed to remove the saw from his bloodied arm and sought help.

He filed for compensation soon after that year but up to now has not received any money. He said his medical files went missing at the Madang General Hospital.

“I filled in the medical report but it went missing at the hospital. I have been checking for it many times but have not been successful.”

Junior Balem shows his injury scars.

In 1999, he was injured again. This time a log fell on his leg damaging his knee and fracturing his shinbone. Again he sought compensation but has received nothing.

“I have been going and coming to check my claims and I’m sick of it,” Balem said.

Provincial Labour Officer Peter Neimani said the processing of compensation claims on the average took a maximum of three years and the quickest is about one and half years.

He said workers misunderstood the process involved in processing the claims and did not follow up their cases, which resulted in the delays.

He explained that were organisations involved in processing the claims such as the employer, the insurance company, the hospital or a doctor, the office of compensation in Port Moresby and his office in Madang.

He said his office has been swamped with 5000 cases and urged workers to check regularly each week so that they claims can be processed.

Most logging workers such as Balem have little or no education and are ignorant of the lengthy processes involved in processing claims.

Sixty year old Sekrim Niangum is another claimant who is wondering whether he will ever be compensated before he dies.

He was injured twice in 1982 and 1991. In the first accident he was on the back of a log truck directing the machine loading the logs when a log slipped loose and fell towards him. He jumped to avoid being crushed by the log and broke his right leg and injured his ribs. In 1991 a log hit him injuring his back. He has lodge claims for both injuries but has not received anything. Recently his son has been trying to help him to follow up his claims but with little success.

Sekrim said he has been visiting Jant, the Labour office and the hospital numerous times since 1982 but has not been successful.

Since the stop work by Jant, workers the Labour office has given special attention to the claims of the 65 JANT employees.

Provincial Labour Officer Mr Neimani said it was unusual for workers to take industrial action over compensation claims and believed it was the work of a few individuals.

However, he was also concerned about the number of injuries resulting from the work place. He said on the average, 20 people were injured fatally each year in Madang and most of them were working in the logging industry.

He said that the employers and employees were not safety conscious, thus resulting in injuries at the work place.

He cited three causes for the high rate of job related accidents. They were lack of safety awareness by employers, negligence by individuals and employees were not provided safety gear needed for work.

He said his department could carry out awareness programs but did not have the funds to do so.

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