pposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and the Human Rights Protection Party have come out in support of the Samoa Public Association and their grievances, recently sent in a letter to the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi government of Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
Tuilaepa said the recent letter from Public Services International, a Global Union Federation of more than 700 trade unions representing 30 million workers in 154 countries, is not a good look for a country like Samoa on the international scene.
PIS has asked the FAST government to convene a tripartite dialogue with the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Association of Samoa to discuss PSA grievances.
Tuilaepa said the recent sacking of top civil servants who are highly qualified experienced leaders in their own field of specialization, has not taken long for the international community to take notice.
“And the only crime in the eyes of FAST leaders is that these officials observed the principles of good governance in the discharging of their duties and responsibilities as stipulated in their respective legislations”.
He called on the government to stop being vindictive in their dealings with public servants.
Samoa is a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and it has also ratified all core conventions and Convention 144 on Tripartite Consultation.
The former Prime Minister said this is why the government needs to take heed of international concerns, particularly with public servants who are the driving force behind the proper and timely implementation of government policies.
Tuilaepa has said that similar tactics of sacking top public servants en-masse, during Tupuola Efi’s (Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi) Government led to the creation of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in 1979.
“Without public servants, the government would be like a ship in a storm without a rudder,” he said.