PSA refuses to negotiate [1]
Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 12:27. Updated on Monday, May 12, 2014 - 11:05.
Tonga's frustrated Public Service Assocation said last night that it will not negotiate with government to end the five weeks long civil servants strike, "until their conditions to return to work are met by government."
At a press conference Vuna Fa'otusia, PSA secretary, said that they had decided to cease negotiations with government and pull out from the arbitration process that was due to start today, Thursday. Their decision came out of their frustration in dealing with the government's negotiating team. "They are insisting on us negotiating on their own terms," he said.
In general there was an expression of frustration by the executive of PSA in their dealing with government.
The two fundamental points of contention remain:
- That government insisted that the new salary model, which was passed by parliament and came into force on July 1 will remain in place. The PSA on the other hand rejected this model, which they claim is the fundamental cause of their discontent. They insisted that this model is not suitable for the public service.
- The PSA demanded a 60, 70, 80% salary rise based on the old level of a structured salary scale, which government rejected and said that they could not sustain.
This latest break down in the negotiation process came yesterday after the chairman of the Cabinet negotiation team, Hon. Siaosi 'Aho, told the executive of PSA that government rejected their request to pay the 60, 70, 80% rises in the old salary scale during the arbitration period, and informed them that all civil servants should return to work and they would be paid their salaries in the new salary scale.
Meanwhile, the PSA MC, Fotu Fisi'iahi, said that the strikers will return to Pangai Si'i and the singing will get a bit louder.