Workers face ‘pandemic of debt’
LONDON (December 15): A former Shadow United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer has warned of another pandemic — “a pandemic of debt” among the country’s Public Servants.
The petition notes that Public Service pay had fallen in value by up to 20 per cent in the past 10 years, causing increased hardship for workers in Government Departments, non-Departmental public bodies and facilities management staff on outsourced Government contracts.
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Court support for pay backflip
The unions had wanted the court to enforce a wage deal struck in 2018 that promised their members inflation-linked increases for three years in a row.
The Government honoured the deal for its first two years but did not pay the final year of increases, which were due in April. It said it could not afford it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Labour Appeal Court ruled it would be unlawful for trade unions to enforce the latest wage increases because it would contravene parts of the constitution and Public Service regulations.
Ardern rejects climate criticism
WELLINGTON ( December 17): New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has rejected criticisms by climate activist, Greta Thunberg of the country’s plan to make its Public Service carbon neutral within five years.
Ms Thunberg derided the plan, saying: “The Government has just committed to reducing less than one per cent of the country’s emissions by 2025.”
However, Ms Ardern said if that was the sum ambition of any Government, it would be worthy of criticism.
“It is not our sum ambition, and it is not the totality of our plans on climate change. I think that it’s actually for us just to get on with the business of fulfilling our obligations and expectations,” Ms Ardern said.
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Trump loyalists still burrowing
WASHINGTON (December 12): The number of political appointees named by United States President, Donald Trump who are attempting to become Public Servants in Federal Agencies continues to grow, sources say.
The latest round of approved conversions includes a White House liaison officer at the Department of Homeland Security and appointees at the Departments of Interior, Justice, Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Trump appointees are using a long-time, controversial practice called ‘burrowing’ in which political appointees, who might be dismissed by an incoming President, transition to more secure Public Service positions.
The growing number of Trump appointees attempting to obtain career Government jobs is raising increasing concern among some Democratic Party leaders that they could undermine President-elect, Joe Biden’s Administration from within.
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Most PS staff get a pay rise
BELFAST (December 14): A report by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows that last year 99 per cent of Public Servants received an increase in pay.
Figures for wages for the year ending March 2020, show the average basic pay was £27,020 ($A48,150), a 5.8 per cent increase on 2019, with the bottom 10 per cent receiving average basic pay of £22,779 ($A40,590) and £41,799 ($A74,488) for those in the top 10 per cent.
Some 38 per cent of industrial staff received a pay increase of between four and 5.9 per cent, with this rising to more than six per cent among Senior Civil Service staff.
However, NISRA noted that increases in pay could be due to normal progression up a pay scale ... “and changes to pay scales".
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China recruits Hong Kong PS
BEIJING (December 15): The Chinese city of Shenzhen is recruiting Public Servants from neighbouring Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.
In recent examinations, 446 people from the two Special Administrative Regions competed for five positions in the administration, finance, city planning, foreign personnel management, and medical supervision areas.
State media reported that the five positions were tailored for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the direction of cooperation between the three regions.
“One position in the subdistrict office of Fubao, Futian District, which is relatively near to Hong Kong, attracted 244 people and became a highly sought after position,” the report said.
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Broadcasting shake-up likely
LONDON (December 12): The United Kingdom’s television regulator says streaming services, such as Netflix and Now TV, could be encouraged to provide public service programing as they become dominant players in the digital era.
In a report on how public service broadcasting should adapt to the age of online viewing, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) said the existing system was “unlikely to survive” and that new platforms should be obliged to feature traditional broadcasters’ streaming services prominently.
It suggested the rules governing the public service remit for broadcasters, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), should be radically overhauled, potentially allowing them to fulfil their obligations online instead of through traditional channels.
If Ofcom’s suggestions are implemented, they would represent the most radical revision to the rules governing public broadcasting in the UK since streaming services began to challenge traditional outlets.
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High flyers’ wings clipped
DUBLIN (14 December): The Irish Government has offered Public Servants a one per cent pay increase or €500 ($A807), whichever is greater, beginning from next October.
A further one per cent rise or €500 would follow in October 2022 under the proposals, which were agreed between trade unions and Government representatives, subject to approval by members.
However, there is a sting in the tail for higher-earning personnel — those receiving more than €70,000 ($A113,000) – who were scheduled to have the final elements of austerity-era cuts restored over the next year or so.
The document suggests they may not receive the proposed across-the-board increases.
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PS head hedges over oath penalties
HONG KONG (December 15): The head of Hong Kong’s Public Service says Government workers who refuse to sign a pledge of allegiance to the city would not “automatically” be guilty of a crime.
However, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen stopped short of completely eliminating the prospect of employees facing prosecution over the oath, sparking demands from a Public Service union leader for more clarity.
Chief Executive of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, Leung Chau-ting said the Minister’s “ambiguous” comments would not ease concerns among employees.
Under a new policy, all 180,000 Public Servants will soon be required to sign a declaration pledging allegiance to the city and promising to uphold the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.
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Fine for hiring too many women
PARIS (December 19): The municipality of Paris has received a €90,000 ($A145,300) fine for employing too many women in senior positions.
The fine was imposed by the Ministry of Public Service on the grounds that the Council had broken national rules on gender parity in its 2018 staffing.
However, Socialist Mayor, Anne Hidalgo was defiant. “I am happy to announce that we have been fined,” Ms Hidalgo said.
She said she had been faulted because 11 women and only five men were named to management positions in 2018, meaning that 69 per cent of the appointments went to women.
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Bullying alleged in Department
LONDON (December 13): The leader of the United Kingdom’s Public and Commercial Services union has raised “grave concerns” over bullying of Public Servants in the Cabinet Office — the Department that directly supports Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Mark Serwotka also said disabled staff had faced "direct and indirect discrimination", with some Public Servants having contemplated suicide as a direct result of their treatment.
In a letter to Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, Alex Chisholm, Mr Serwotka said staff were demanding meaningful action.
The union official said staff believed there was widespread and ingrained discrimination within the Cabinet Office with "too many senior managers either directly discriminating against colleagues or failing to tackle discrimination within their teams".
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Shift to digital accelerated
TOKYO (December 13): The Japanese Government is considering the establishment of a new category in its national Public Service examination that requires specialised knowledge in the digital sector.
The category would deal with subjects such as information processing technology, and was aimed at accelerating the digitisation of administrative procedures.
It comes after the Government announced it would set up a digital agency in September 2021.
The category will be part of the national examination in 2022 from which a few dozen recruits familiar with such matters as cybersecurity and building information systems would be selected.
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Cost of PS pensions soars
DUBLIN (December 18): An independent report presented to the Irish Government says the projected cost of all public sector pensions has surged from €114 billion ($A184 billion) three years ago to almost €150 billion ($A242 billion) now.
The figure covers the total cost of pensions accrued by about 320,000 Public Servants currently in employment and about 170,000 retired Public Servants who are in receipt of pensions.
The bill will be paid over several decades, but is also expected to rise during that time.
Workers in receipt of a full Public Service pension who have completed 40 years’ service are in most cases entitled to a pension of 50 per cent of final salary plus a tax-free lump sum on retirement of 150 per cent of final salary.
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Praise for pandemic workers
BINTULU (December 15): Public Servants in the Malaysian State of Sarawak have been commended for their excellent work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the end of a course for young Public Service leaders, Chair of the Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee, Jack Aman Luat said the service of Government workers had been outstanding despite the great risks brought about by the worst health crisis that had affected the world in many years.
“When carrying out our duties, we faced various obstacles and problems and without your support and cooperation we might not have been able to perform our duties accordingly,” Mr Jack said.
“With the best methods, the State Government together with the relevant Government Agencies, whether at the State or Federal level, managed to control the spread of the virus in the State.”
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Festive salary advance offered
COCKBURN TOWN (December 15): The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has offered its Public Servants an interest-free advance on their salaries to help them through the Christmas period.
While the offer had been a permanent feature at Christmas time for decades, it was discontinued in 2011 due to fiscal constraints, only to be reinstated last year
Some 1,148 Public Servants benefited from the 2019 program and Deputy Governor, Anya Williams said she was pleased to be able to offer it again.
“Civil Servants have worked tirelessly throughout the past few months during
the pandemic to ensure that service continued to be delivered to persons across
the Turks and Caicos Islands in a highly difficult environment,” Ms Williams
said.
The full International PS News service will resume on January 19
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