The Public Service
Association (PSA) in Tonga is grateful for the understanding and prompt action
by the new Police Commissioner to resolve the grievances of the staff in the
lower levels of the Tonga Police with regard to the unfair distribution and/or
implementation of benefits (pay rise and/or increased salary structural
revisions) approved by Tu’ivakanō’s Cabinet on the 24th August 2012.
If all the leaders in the Tongan Government, Chief
Executive Officers, Ministers and Prime Minister are open minded, have time to
listen to the grievances of their workers and are prepared to hold peaceful
dialogue with the workers’ Union representative as the new Police Commissioner,
Mr. Grant O’Fee, did yesterday, a “win-win” situation can be achieved which
would benefit the workers and also improve the quality of the service provided
by Government to the people of Tonga.
After the “hushed-up” pay rise (or increased salary structural revisions) of
the staff in the Tonga Police, submitted by the Hon. Prime Minister to his
Cabinet on the 24th August 2012 in his capacity as the Minister responsible
for the Tonga Police, was made public last week by one of the media in Tonga,
the Police Commissioner promptly accepted the request made by the PSA on behalf
of the Police Association (a branch within the PSA) to discuss the grievances
of its members who are staff in the lower levels in the Tonga Police.
The PSA and the Police Association fully supported and appreciate the pay rise
that was recently approved. However, concerns raised were as follows:
1.
The pay rise should be implemented at
the same time for all staff [note: only the 5 top levels after the
Commissioner were to have their pay rise or increased salary structural
revisions implemented in this financial year and backdated to 01st
July 2012. The rest of the staff’s pay rise in the lower levels were
deferred to the next financial year];
2.
If the Tonga Police’s budget cannot
accommodate the pay rise of all staff, the pay rise for the staff in the lower
levels should be granted first and not those in the higher levels because the
latter are currently enjoying higher pay. It is the staff in the lower
levels that carry out most of the workload directed by the staff in the higher
levels.
3.
It is selfish and unfair for the
staff in the higher levels, who has the authority to propose this pay rise, to
consider their own welfare first over those who are in less fortunate position
than them;
4.
To avoid the problem that happened in
2005, i.e. the 6.5 weeks strike of approximately 95% of the public servants over
the unfair distribution of benefits (pay rise) to Ministers, CEOs, and the
staff of the Ministries of Defence and Police granted in 2004, all the workers
in Government should all get a pay rise to be fair to everyone.
5.
All workers in Government feel the
impact of the global financial crisis here in Tonga, not just the staff of the
Tonga Police.
After a short dialogue in good faith which lasted not more than 30 minutes
with the Secretary General of the PSA, the Police Commissioner agreed that they
will resubmit to Cabinet for consideration (after endorsement by the Minister
responsible for Tonga Police, i.e. the Hon. Prime Minister) for the available
funds in their budget in this financial year to be divided amongst all the
staff in the Tonga Police and for the balance to be made up and reimbursed in
the next financial year.
In view of the unfortunate incident
that involved two staff from the Tonga Police in the death of a NZ policeman,
Kali Fungavaka who is a Tongan, a few weeks ago, the PSA has requested the
assistance of the NZ Police Association through the Public Service
International (PSI) to strengthen the Tonga Police Association and to improve
their service delivery to the public. The density of the membership of the
Police Departments in both Australia & New Zealand in their Police
Associations are approximately 95% as presented during the PSI Asia-Pacific
Regional Conference held in Sydney in October 2011 which the Secretary General
of PSA attended.
For more information,
please contact the Secretary General of PSA on +(676) 26-080 or 7863-344,
