From the House

By Pesi Fonua

Tonga’s Public Service Association (PSA) is demanding an additional 20% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in their salaries and wages, the Minister of Finance, Hon. 'Aisake Eke told the Tongan Parliament on April 6.

The Minister had not responded to the PSA's demands because the government was still preparing the new government budget and assessing the government’s expenditure for the coming financial year, along with the necessary repayments of national debts, both locally and internationally.

Whether or not government could meet the PSA’s demand for a 20% COLA would not be clear until the government’s 2014-15 budget was finalized.

The Minister informed the House that the new budget would be in two parts, "one for the current government and the other for the new government that will be elected into power following the November election."

He was responding to a query by Dr Sitiveni Halapua, People's Representative for Constituency

 No. 3, about the 5% COLA that had been approved by Cabinet.

Sitiveni warned the House of the possibility of a repeat of the Public Servants’ strike in 2005.

The rolling strikes that were staged by the civil servants in 2005, the first for Tonga, ended with an unprecedented salary rise in Tonga and even in the world, of 60%, 70% and 80%.

'Aisake told parliament that government had already approved a 5% COLA, to be back-dated to January for all civil servants, excepting for the staff of Tonga's diplomatic missions overseas.

He also reminded the House that the events of 2005 were over a change in the structure of salaries, whereas this time is was over an adjustment of salaries because of a fluctuation in the cost of living.

Overtime payments

The salary issue engaged the House on the final day of its 2013 session.

In answering a query about the overtime payment of members of the House, the Speaker, said that the matter had been investigated by his staff.

Lord Fakafanua confirmed that the House on 23 June 2009 had approved for Cabinet ministers not to be paid for their over-time work in the House, but other members were to be paid for their over-time.

The House had also set the salaries of the Speaker of the House at $65,000; the Chairman of the Whole House Committee, $60,000; and the salaries of members, $55,000. The House had also agreed for a 10% increase in the salaries of the permanent staff, and a weekly allowance of $500.

He believed that there was nothing in the findings of his staff that stopped members from being paid for working over-time. In the past, the House was paying members for working over-time up to 2010, when Lord Lasike was the Speaker of the House.

The Speaker also informed members that only about 30% of their budget allocation was left.

Divided views

What followed was a division between the members who wanted to leave things as they were, and those who wanted to claim their overtime payments.

'Akilisi Pohiva, Lisiate 'Akolo and Dr Sitiveni Halapua wanted to leave things as they were, and did not want to claim their overtime payments.

Howevef, Lord Tu'I'afitu was willing to claim his overdue overtime payments, and Lord Tu'ilakepa suggested for overtime pay envelopes of members to be made available and for those who wanted to claim theirs to come forward and take them.

But before any decision was made, Sunia Fili, the PR for constituency No. 11 told the House that he was a member of the House's Standing Finance Committee.

There were two reports on the salaries of members of the House that were presented to the House, one by Mr Salway and their own report. He said that the House rejected Mr Salway's report but they accepted their report that there would be no more overtime payments.

However, he suggested that perhaps there was a need for a revision of that decision.

The Speaker confirmed that the halting of over-time payment for members, also included that of the staff. He suggested that they leave the issue as it was until they reviewed a report of the Higher salary Authority to be presented to the House later in the year.