Trade Union Called on to Provide Documents

The country's leading private sector union the National Union of Workers, SINUW, has been requested to produce documents to help the office of Registrar of Trade Unions deliberate on an application by the Russell Islands Plantations Estate Limited, RIPEL, for the cancellation or suspension of the union.

RIPEL had written to the Registrar of Trade Unions to cancel or suspend the registration of SINUW for alleged deliberate and unlawful breaches of the Trade Union Act, the Trade Disputes Act and the Penal Code.

General Secretary, Tony Kagovai says SINUW has not been served with a copy of RIPEL's application.

But it had received a request to produce copies of court documents to the Registrar of Trade Unions.

Mr Kagovai says all the matters which RIPEL had raised in its application are matters that have been dealt with by the Trade Disputes Panel and the High Court.

He denies allegations of conducting itself illegally in relation to RIPEL industrial dispute.

Mr Kagovai says the Registrar of Trade Unions has written a letter, confirming that SINUW has complied with the legal obligation of filing its outstanding returns and financial statements.

He says RIPEL must substantiate the allegations that SINUW is a criminal organisation.