Civil servants return to work to apply for leave [1]
Monday, September 5, 2005 - 18:00. Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 21:56.
Tonga's striking civil servants were told by PSA officials to return to work this afternoon - and then the workers could apply for casual leave to have another day off tomorrow to join another march.
Following Saturday's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with government, that was expected to bring the civil service back to normal today following six weeks of disruption, the striking civil servants gathered at Pangai Si'i for the last time to hold a final meeting before returning to work.
Finau Tutone, the President of the Public Servants Association, said there was no specific time on when workers will return back to work today but all would return before 4:30pm this afternoon.
Finau said that Government accepted on Saturday September 3 their request to give them more time to hold their meeting just as long as they returned before today's working day finished.
Mele 'Amanaki told the crowd this morning that when they returned to work they should apply for casual leave for tomorrow September 6 so they could participate in a march to the King.
The march is to present a Letter of Petition to the King calling for a change in Government and it will start from Teufaiva Stadium at 10:00am, and end a Pangai Lahi next to the Royal Palace