23 Nov 2005

Samoa PSA says march to support doctors will disturb the peace

11:18 am on 23 November 2005

The President of Samoa's Public Service Association has warned the organisers of Friday's march to support doctors who went on strike, to think first about the consequences of a march.

Solialofi Papalii has told the Samoa Observer newspaper that there is no need for the public to become involved in the dispute.

She says the planned march will disturb the peace.

Mrs Papalii, who served on the commisison of enquiry which looked into the doctors grievances, says the PSA strongly supports Cabinet's decision to reject an increase to doctors' entry salaries.

She says it was wrong for the doctors to put money before people's lives.

She says it was also wrong for the doctors to to compare their salary packages to countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Mrs Papali'i says if the doctors had sought the PSA's advise, they would have been happy to help them, but the PSA was not consulted.