P-NG Employers Want

Penal Clauses Restored

■ From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, Jan. 1.

IT the same time that Democracy I (or UN) Mas rejoicing at the moval of penal clauses from labour I ntracts on Nauru (see December \M), there was agitation in Papua pv Guinea to hare some of them ttored. [The President of the Planters’ As jpiation of New Guinea, Mr. D. brett, raised the question of native fcertions with the Minister during k November visit to Papua. He [lined that there were upwards of P cases of desertion in the Rabaularea during the last 18 bnths, or approximately 15 to 20 r cent, of the native labour working der agreement.

He emphasised that employers had [effective redress when natives de fied, and said that this was leading Increasing irresponsibility by native [rkers towards their agreement ugations. Native deserters were Id to return to their jobs by an [ministration officer, but if they re- Sed there was nothing more that

the Administration officials could do about it.

The Central District Advisory Council at Port Moresby has also discussed the same subject. When the familiar ground of fixed obliga tions—and fixed penalties—for em ployers defaulting on their agree ments, but no effective penalty when the default is on the side of the em ployee had been gone over, the Coun cil passed a resolution recommending re-introduction of a penal clause for employees who broke their agree ment.

The problem goes far beyond the matter of a monetary loss to em ployers and it might be argued that the present system of natives getting out of their obligations scot-free is a serious breach of Trusteeship respon sibilities. The aim of Trusteeship is to bring the natives to civilised standards. But to initiate and per petuate a system whereby a native can enter into a formal legal agree ment undertaking certain obligations in return for fixed and rigidly defined benefits and wages, and then allow him to break that agreement without effective penalty, is to encourage irresponsibility, lawlessness and deteri oration of character.

In his own primitive environment

a breach of tribal law brings its own swift punishment.

Native labour desertions very acutely concerns the UN Trusteeship Council since sentimental toleration of desertions constitutes a breach of their own indirect responsibility to> the natives.