19 Dec 2003

American Samoa government employees retain full pay if sent to Iraq

4:47 pm on 19 December 2003

All reservists employed in the American Samoa government being mobilised for duty in Iraq will get their full salaries during their deployment period.

Director of Human Resources Puni Penei Sewell says reservists are granted administrative leave and this entitles them to their full salary, and their service will be credited for the time they are away.

Puni said that quasi-agencies of the government such as the American Samoa Power Authority, LBJ Hospital and American Samoa Telecommunications Authority generally follow government personnel rules but not all the time.

There's no binding on private employers to pay the soldiers while they are away but they are required to hire them - if not at the same position they were working in when they were deployed, then a comparable position.

This will be the first time that local reservists will be facing a deployment.