A senior member of the largest Methodist denomination in Tonga said the people should show their “disapproval” of the Public Service Association’s planned strike.
Rev. Dr. Tevita Tonga Mohenoa Puloka of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga said a strike would be a serious blow to the civil servants and Tonga’s fragile economy.
The PSA has demanded the government approve a 20-22 percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for all government employees.
The Association wants the government pay an initial cost of living allowance of between six and 10 percent out of the Contingency Vote of the 2014/2015 Budget.
If its demands are not met, PSA members will go on strike Monday, October 20.
The government says the strike action won’t work as most civil servants do not support it.
Dr Puloka said the Tongan people represented about 97 percent of those who rightfully owned the national resource, including revenues the government “managed” and “distributed for the public good.”
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, for without the people of Tonga you won’t have a job,” Dr Puloka said.
“Those of us who are not paid by Government, yet are doing the same or even more and better services for the country must register our disapproval of this PSA threat of a strike against us, the people of Tonga.”
Democratic Party Leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Democratic Party have already called for the industrial action to be postponed, fearing it might affect the general election next month.
The party said it did not support the strike because it would affect the upcoming election and students who are going to sit the Tongan National School Certificate.
Government
The Tongan government said it could not afford another increase in civil servants’ pay within the approved 2014/15 budget estimates.
“The additional pay increase that some civil servants insist on being granted from this financial year will cost millions the Government does not have and cannot afford,” Tonga’s Finance Secretary, Tatafu Moeaki said.
“With less than two months to go before our next election, further COLA and pay increases, which will costs millions of pa’anga should be placed before the next Government to consider taking into account the economic and financial situation of the country for the short, to medium and long term.”
The government considered that further COLA payments to government civil servants would affect salaries for private sectors, especially school teachers.
Moeaki said: “The same applies to those employees serving outside Government such as teachers.
“Any pay raise for Government teachers without any contribution to those teachers in church schools for example, would be contrary to respecting the rights of each and every citizen of Tonga.
“Those workers in the business community and church schools are going to have a very hard time swallowing the idea that Government employees are entitled to a higher cost of living allowance and a higher pay increase.”
PSA Demands
The PSA wants the Tongan Government to approve a 20-22 percent COLA for all employees in Government.
The demand is based on figures calculated by Tongan Reserve Bank CEO Dr. Ngongo Kioa.
It wants an immediate allowance of between six and 10 percent to be paid from the Contingency Vote of the 2014/2015 Budget.
The rest of the allowance should be paid in the 2015/2016 budget, the PSA said.
The Association claimed the Minister for Finance had recommended a six percent COLA to be added to the basic salary.
However, it said the Minister had told a meeting on Wednesday last week that a five percent allowance was already being paid in the 2013/2014 budget and a new one percent allowance would come in the 2014/2015 budget.
The PSA said it refuted the Finance Minister’s statement and was preparing to go on strike, but was still open to negotiation.
Kaniva News Comment
The threat of strike action does not have the full power of the support of the public as it did when industrial action took place in 2005.
Critics charge that the PSA’s strike threat is politically motivated because some in the PSA body are running for Parliament in the upcoming election.
The strike action threat has split PSA members and their supporters.
Many people say the strike has not been well planned and the timing is unwise.
The government understands the PSA’s threat has not been supported by the majority of the people.
The Deputy Prime Minister has been heard bragging that the PSA can go ahead and strike because the government will not back down.
He said the Government needed more time for negotiation.
The PSA said it wants the TP$96 million (US$49 million/NZ$62 million) worth of Chinese loan money given to Princess Pilolevu and Tongasat to be returned to the government to help pay for the cost of living allowance.
The main points
- Dr. Tevita Tonga Mohenoa Puloka of the Free Wesleyan Church says a threatened strike by Tonga’s Public Service Association would be a serious blow to the kingdom’s fragile economy.
- The PSA has demanded the government approve a 20-22 percent Cost of Living Allowance for all government employees.
- If its demands are not met, PSA members will go on strike tomorrow, Wednesday, October 15.
- Democratic Party Leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Democratic Party have already called for the industrial action to be postponed, fearing it might affect the general election next month.
For more information
Tonga Unable To Pay Higher COLA For Public Sector (Radio New Zealand International)
COLA for civil servants (Tonga Daily News)
