The Police Federation of Australia has taken part in a joint mission by Australian unions to help their PNG counterparts better establish themselves. As one of 10 unions which travelled to Port Moresby as members of an ACTU delegation in February, the PFA focussed its efforts on the Police Association of PNG.

In a day-long meeting, PFA CEO Mark Burgess held top-level talks with the association’s entire executive committee. He said the key issue to emerge was the need for the executive to undergo professional union training.

“In fact, this was the key issue that came from every other PNG union that interacted with the delegation,” he said. “This is a matter that will need to be progressed with some urgency.

“Among other issues to emerge was the association’s endeavour to alter its rules. We spent time looking at corresponding sections of the PFA rules and policies as a guide.

“I’m confident that, from that discussion, a new set of Police Association of PNG rules will soon be developed and registered.”

By the end of the day’s talks, the PFA and PAPNG had agreed to co-operate in the pursuit of:

• Training for the PAPNG executive (following discussions with the other delegation members, the PFA has begun to investigate the possibility of International Labour Organization financing of such training. It is also discussing with the ACTU and PAPNG whether that training might be delivered by ACTU trainers in conjunction with the PFA, or a PFA-co-ordinated Australian police association/union, which would provide a trainer).
• Assistance to develop a health insurance fund for members of the PAPNG (the PAPNG saw a health insurance fund as an important member benefit. The PFA will endeavour to have an expert visit the PAPNG to ascertain the appropriateness of developing a fund and, if appropriate, assist with getting it set up).
• Assistance to get its police credit union fully functional again (the PAPNG and its Credit Society have endured hard financial times. The PFA will liaise with the Federation of Australian Police Credit Unions to bring about a visit to PNG by an expert who could examine the viability of the Police Credit Society. He or she might also work with the organization so as to bring it back to a strong financial footing).
• Provision of computer equipment, phones and fax machines that might be surplus to needs in Australian police associations/ unions, or any other organizations (clear from visits to the Port Moresby office of the PAPNG is that upgraded equipment would better enable it to keep proper records and operate an efficient office).

The ACTU formed the delegation after it considered a plan in mid-2004 to visit PNG, where it would help its sister unions to improve their operations.

The PFA had, as early as 2003, already discussed various means by which it might help the PAPNG, as well as other police associations in the South Pacific, such as that of the Solomon Islands.

As soon as it learned of the ACTU plan, the PFA offered to join the delegation – on the proviso that the PAPNG was “happy for us to participate”. With that assurance given, the PFA’s Mark Burgess joined 15 other officials, who formed the largest Australian union delegation ever to visit PNG.

Each Australian union linked up with its PNG counterpart for talks which stretched over three days. Taking part from Australia and New Zealand were:

• Australian Nurses Federation.
• Community Public Sector Union.
• Maritime Union of Australia.
• Australian Education Union.
• Australian Services Union.
• Finance Sector Union.
• Transport Workers Union.
• Police Federation of Australia.
• Australian Council of Trade Unions.
• New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

The delegation moved to explain that it had not come simply to bankroll its PNG sister unions as a “big brother” from Australia. It outlined its purpose as “giving assistance in whichever way we can provide it”.

Australian High Commissioner Michael Potts addressed the meetings’ participants on day two. He highlighted the role of Australian police in the International Deployment Group through the Enhanced Cooperation Program.

On day three, more than 70 Australian and PNG representatives attended a joint meeting of all participating unions.

“Each of the Australian and PNG sister unions gave a report on their meetings and outcomes,” said Mr Burgess. “The important part of this report was the development of ongoing dialogue.”

Mr Burgess also spoke of a special assistance agreement struck between the PFA and its New Zealand counterpart.

“The New Zealand Police Association has committed to assist the Solomon Islands, while the PFA works with the PAPNG,” he said.

Police Association of PNG history

The Police Association of Papua New Guinea turned 40 on February 26 and is one of the oldest unions in PNG.

It enjoyed reasonable success through its first 20 years but, by the late 1990s, its membership had become restless and demanded change. So, in 2003, a new executive came to office under the leadership of police prosecutor, Sergeant Robert Ali.

With little experience, Ali and his new team have set about turning the association into a far more member-representative and -responsive organization – and won support in the process.

Over the past 18 months, membership numbers have grown by more than 900 to 2,500. The PNG police force employs a total of 5,000 officers.

Ali and his executive, confident in the new association strategy, expect that membership numbers will rise to more than 3,000 and continue to climb.

PNG police have had no pay increases for three years and are, naturally, disenchanted.

Aussie cops’ tough conditions in PNG

Australian state and federal police attached to the International Deployment Group are working in extremely poor conditions in PNG. That was the view of Police Federation of Australia CEO, Mark Burgess, who visited police headquarters and several local stations and sections in February.

“It is a credit to the PNG police that they have been able to provide a service to their communities from such conditions,” he said. “And it is an equal credit to the Australian police who, in conjunction with their PNG colleagues, are working to improve those conditions.”

Mr Burgess said facilities such as refrigeration, and supplies such as reasonable drinking water – generally taken for granted in Australia – were “not often readily available in Port Moresby police stations”. He added, however, that these issues were “being rectified”.

He also spoke of “great opportunities” he saw to improve conditions for PNG officers through Australian police attached to the IDG.

“Already, as a result of meetings held while I was in Port Moresby, dialogue has commenced between the Police Association of PNG and the IDG co-ordinators,” he said.

After another visit, on which he inspected some of the accommodation provided for Australian police, Mr Burgess congratulated the AFP. He said not only he, but also many Australian officers to whom he had spoken, had found the lodgings to be of a high quality. That, he said, would help make officers’ working lives in such difficult conditions “a bit easier”.

At the end of his visit, Mr Burgess spoke of his hope for more professional dialogue to begin between the PFA and IDG co-ordinators on the ground.

“Sadly, such dialogue has not occurred in Canberra,” he said. “This visit, and others that follow, should demonstrate the PFA’s genuine interest in assisting – through meaningful dialogue with the AFP – Australian police in their overseas deployments.

“It should also demonstrate our desire to improve the lot of PNG police through assistance to their police association.”