MORE than 50 Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) church workers face being terminated if they do not work on Saturdays, Markham MP Koni Iguan told Parliament yesterday.
Mr Iguan, in a series of questions to Labour and Industrial Relations Minister Mark Maipakai, said the 52 SDA members work for Ramu Sugar Ltd and also reside with their families in that township.
SDAs throughout the world honour Saturday as a day of worship, prayer and rest.
However, Mr Iguan said last Saturday, the company issued a general notice to all employees to work on Saturdays.
“These SDA workers are now expected to go against their conscience and their religious beliefs to work on Saturdays.”
Mr Iguan said the management had indicated taking drastic action and severely penalise those who did not turn up for work on Saturdays.
“The action is in direct breach of the UN Convention on Human Rights Universal Declaration Article 18, allowing the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” Mr Iguan said.
Mr Maipakai promised to check the claims and report back to the MP.
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