Labour and Social Security Minister, Fackson Shamenda said UPND should focus on addressing political matters instead of dwelling on industrial issues by calling on people to boycott this year’s Labour Day celebrations.
Mr Shamenda said in an interview yesterday that the country had enjoyed industrial peace since the Patriotic Front (PF) Government assumed office in 2011.
The UPND this week issued a statement urging workers countrywide to boycott tomorrow’s Labour Day celebrations for what it termed ‘a way of protesting against what Government had done to the country’s labour force.’
Read more on the boycott issue:http://tumfweko.com/2014/04/30/tonga-workers-to-boycott-labour-day-celebrations-at-hhs-instructions/
Mr Shamenda, who is also acting Chief Government spokesperson, said it was irresponsible for leaders to call for a countrywide boycott of Labour Day celebrations, especially that the event was internationally recognised.
‘‘It is very irresponsible for a person and a leader who is aspiring to get into Government to call for a boycott of Labour Day celebrations.
‘‘This is not the first time that UPND is calling for a countrywide boycott, they called for a boycott on International Women’s Day, Youth Day and other celebrations, and for this, we feel it’s very irresponsible and we want to urge people to ignore such calls,’’ Mr Shamenda said.
He said since forming Government, the PF had been passionate about the welfare of employees as seen from the manner matters of salaries and improved conditions of service had been handled.
‘‘Since we took over office, we have done a lot in terms of addressing labour matters, we have managed to increase salaries for the lowest paid worker in the country and we are not tolerating casualisation in places of work,’’ he said.
Mr Shamenda further called on people countrywide to turn up in numbers to celebrate Labour Day tomorrow and ignore calls by the UPND to boycott the celebrations.