THE Health Ministry is expected to save more than $400,000 when it deducts the salary of nurses who went on strike from midnight on July 24.
The strike lasted 16 days before the Fiji Nursing Association announced it was withdrawing from the industrial action and would seek legal redress on its grievances.
Interim Health Minister Doctor Jona Senilagakali said more than $400,000 would be deducted from salary of nurses who would not be paid for the time they were on protest off work.
More than 1000 FNA members walked off their jobs last month.
The association has 1400 members but not all of them went on strike.
Association general secretary Kuini Lutua said the majority of association members were paid their normal salary during the last pay week and arrangements were being made with the ministry for the release of pay cheques for members in the outer islands and rural areas.
Interim Education Minister Netani Sukanaivalu, despite announcing repeatedly that teachers who walked out of classes on August 2 would have their pay deducted, could not put a sum on the savings the ministry would make.
The ministry had said members of the Fijian Teachers Association who walked out of classes for their strike, which was withdrawn on the second day, would not get paid for the two days as well as for the two weeks holidays.
The move has been criticised by the association, which argued that teachers were entitled to holiday pay as they are not awarded annual leave unlike other civil servants.
"The decision stands. They are not going to be paid for the two days as well as the two weeks holidays," said Mr Sukanaivalu said.
Interim Works and Transport Minister Manu Korovulavula said he was busy when contacted yesterday.
It is not clear how much his ministry will save from members of the Public Employees Union who walked off their jobs on August 2.
PEU members have since returned to work after their strike was withdrawn.
They too will pursue their grievances in court.
Public Service Commission chairman Rishi Ram said the State managed to save a substantial amount of money by not paying civil servants who went on strike.
Mr Ram said it was the responsibility of individual ministries to keep an account of how many of their staff were on strike and how much each ministry was supposed to pay out to each of them.
Commission permanent secretary Taina Tagicakibau said they had yet to receive a full report on how many nurses had gone on strike.
Ms Tagicakibau said the PSC needed details of each nurse who went on strike, how much they were being paid, among other details, before concluding how much the interim Government would actually save in wages.
The FNA paid its a members daily allowance while they were on strike.