The plan by the Public Service Association (P.S.A.) to hold a meeting this Saturday to discuss developments within Samoa’s public sector, following the appointment of the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) Government, would immediately invoke memories of the 1981 Public Service Strike.

Over 40 years ago the civil servants’ union Public Service Association (P.S.A.) led a strike against the Public Service Commission (P.S.C.) and the Government, demanding a wage increase for public servants, and later calls to reinstate protesters and agreeing to clear job dispute resolution procedures.

The three month-long strike action came on the back of deteriorating economic conditions at that time with the reported 15 per cent devaluation of the dollar by the Government of Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi in June 1979 and the rise in interest rates, petrol prices and electricity charges. The increase in the cost of living at that time was a major factor behind the P.S.A. pushing for a salary increase for public servants effective as of January 1981, which became a harbinger for strike action.

Fast forward to today and the P.S.A. has emerged again, but this time at the backend of a months-long constitutional crisis, triggered by the refusal by the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) to concede defeat following the April general election, and an intervention by the Court of Appeal which installed the F.A.S.T. party as the legitimate Government on 23 July 2021 bringing the crisis to an end.

However, in new developments the Wednesday 1 September 2021 edition of the Samoa Observer reported that the P.S.A. has called a special meeting this Saturday.

The P.S.A. President, Karamellie Tuala, advised in a notice that the meeting will be held at 9am at the Tu’utu’uleloloto hall in Mulivai. 

When contacted by this newspaper for a comment, Ms. Tuala confirmed the meeting scheduled for Saturday but denied that they had political motives. 

She said public servants have been concerned at how senior bureaucrats were treated upon the installation of the F.A.S.T. Government.

Perhaps the timing of Saturday’s P.S.A. meeting is linked to the decision by the P.S.C. Chair Lauano Vaosa Epa to write to all Ministry CEOs and public sector leaders on Wednesday morning to remind them of their loyalty to the people of Samoa and the Government of the day?

The letter by Lauano dated 1 September 2021 should serve as a timely reminder to public servants of who they swore their oath of office to: to the people of Samoa and the Government of the day.

“As such I wish to remind you of our responsibilities. We serve the Government of the day, regardless who that may be,” reads the letter authored by the P.S.C. Chair.

“As public servants our obligations is stipulated under our respective legislations though in particular the Public Service Act 2004 is to remain politically neutral.”

Thankfully, history also teaches us to be vigilant of the underbelly of politics, which can capitalise on vulnerabilities within the public sector.

Such as the P.S.A. led mass demonstrations in 1981, which led to the toppling of the Government at that time, and the victory of the H.R.P.P. in the 1982 general election to kick start four decades of uninterrupted political power.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Commerce has revealed the P.S.A. failed to renew its registration as a legal entity last year, and it hasn’t been submitting audited financial statements since 2017.

Consequently, the convening of any P.S.A. meeting would lack legal standing due to the current registration status of the association. 

So what is so urgent and critically important for a partially defunct organisation to awake itself from a three-year slumber to attend to the needs of its members at the backend of a political crisis?

We have seen in recent weeks how some public servants, drowned by emotions following the exit of the H.R.P.P. Government, have placed themselves in precarious conflict of interest positions in breach of public service general orders.

The letter on Wednesday from the P.S.C. Chair is timely, but if there are bureaucrats still fighting with their inner demons in terms of their loyalty, then obviously serving the people without fear or favour is no longer your calling.