Governor Lolo Moliga has made it clear to directors that employees are not to be coerced or forced to march in the 2016 Flag Day Parade next Monday.
In addition he says anyone who chooses not to march shall not face retribution.
Governor Lolo declared in an April 7 memo that participation in the Flag Day parade is an individual choice made voluntarily by the employee.
It’s not clear why the governor felt it necessary to issue the memo on employee participation in the Flag Day parade.
A few directors are reported to have instructed employees verbally or in emails that they have to march on Monday, April 18 and no one should clock in because it’s not a working day, it’s a public holiday.
One woman said their director is telling employees to participate in the parade and in her opinion if employees are instructed to participate, they should be compensated.
She said the directors talk about lotonu’u (patriotism) but as far as she’s concerned if it’s forced and not voluntary there’s little reason to feel patriotic.
She said employees of the Governor’s Office, Samoan Affairs and other departments heavily involved in Flag Day usually collect large overtime checks every year.
And the same should apply to employees who are “encouraged” to spend part of their holiday to march for Flag Day.
A male employee said the governor’s memo is clear, employees are not to be coerced, into marching on Monday.
But he said the directors are doing just that.
He said the directors want to be on the governor’s good side and are pushing to have a strong showing from employees in the Flag Day Parade.
He said his preference is to watch Flag Day on TV instead of waiting in the hot sun, and if there are any repercussions from his absence in the parade on Monday, the Department of Labor will hear from him.
