Tonga's Acting Prime Minister Hon. James Cecil Cocker has urged all civil servants to report to work on Monday.

A reply to striking civil servants, released by the Prime Minister's Office information unit yesterday, said that while they were absent from work, "His Majesty...’s Cabinet was on the job throughout the day to seek ways to address the grievances."

The press release of 22 July, noted that the complaints from public service staff derived from dissatisfaction regarding the new salary structure and subsequent salary adjustments.

"In its deliberations, Cabinet reaffirmed that the new structure of the Salary Revision will be maintained, but that all the anomalies from this salary revision be addressed urgently by the respective Heads of Department and the Public Service Commission...…and submitted for consideration at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, July 27."

Government stated that since it was, "dealing with their grievances as a matter of the highest priority, the Acting Prime Minister...…is urging all civil servants to report to work on Monday"

"The Government is moving forward in dealing with complaints regarding the salary revision, and will need everyone...’s cooperation to arrive at a solution that is widely accepted and wisely implemented."

Not impressed

Meanwhile, the Tongan Public Service Association President, Finau Tutone, concluded his address to striking public servants at Pangai Si'i by quoting an English proverb, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time!"

The PSA called for the strike action to continue into next week.