UK union slams performance pay plan

LONDON (May 11): Senior United Kingdom Civil Servants are to have their pay linked to their performance in a move criticised as divisive by a leading union.

Cabinet Office Minister, John Glen said a trial of performance-related pay for some senior officers would begin later in the year.

Mr Glen (pictured) said the reforms would make pay more attractive for people hired from the private sector, without raising base salaries in the bureaucracy.

However, General Secretary of the FDA, the union representing senior bureaucrats, Dave Penman, said the move would not solve the problem of low pay in the Civil Service compared with the private sector, and would just worsen the gap between internal and external hires.

“Once again, we have Ministers fiddling while Rome burns. Rather than address the fundamentals of a broken pay system, with pay rates for existing Civil Servants half of what they could get in the private sector, we have Ministers focusing on micro-management and widening the gap between external hires and internal staff,” Mr Penman said.

“If the Government wants a world-class Civil Service, capable of meeting the challenges of the next decade, tinkering with a broken system won’t work.”

Mr Glen said the trial would be limited to certain senior Civil Service staff who would be rewarded for delivery of the projects they managed.

Mr Penman has also called on Ministers to stop undermining officials with attacks in the right-wing press and instead deliver the stability that Departments and Agencies needed.

He told the union's annual conference that policies, such as demanding all officials attend their workplaces three days a week and seeking a return of the Civil Service headcount to 2019 levels, were damaging and unsupported by evidence.

Mr Penman said Ministerial attacks on the Civil Service in the media, most recently Mr Glen's claims in the Evening Standard newspaper that officials had been languishing in lockdown habits for too long, were damaging morale and recruitment.

"What message does that send to Civil Servants working on average an extra day a week in unpaid overtime? What message does it send to those that Ministers say they want to attract to the Service with the skills we desperately need, but aren’t prepared to pay for?" he asked.

*********

Reform Bill meets Senate opposition

BUENOS AIRES (May 13): Argentine President, Javier Milei’s reform program hangs in the balance as he prepares to get his ‘Ley de Bases’ legislation through an Opposition-controlled Senate.

Debate has begun on the sweeping package of deregulatory economic reforms which have already passed the Lower House Chamber of Deputies

Tensions ran high after Senators from the Unión por la Patria Party proposed the Bill be quashed, declaring its text differed from what the Lower House had approved.  Presidential Spokesperson, Manuel Adorni admitted as much, with a final text only just circulated in time.

If any part of the Bill is rejected or amended, it must return to the Chamber of Deputies for further consideration.

*********

Hackers gain access to student data

HELSINKI (May 13): Finland’s capital of Helsinki has reported that the data of up to 120,000 students, parents and other personnel attached to the city administration’s Childhood and Education Division has been hacked.

The information consists of the usernames and e-mail addresses of nearly 40,000 city personnel, as well as the addresses and personal identity codes of roughly 80,000 students, parents and staff members.

Chief Digital Officer, Hannu Heillinen said hackers gained access to content on network drives holding tens of millions of documents, some containing information such as customer fees for early-childhood education, student welfare-related information requests, details of special needs assessments, and medical statements.

“It is also possible that the perpetrator has accessed data on persons under a non-disclosure restriction,” Mr Heillinen said.

*********

‘Russian Law’ passes Georgian Parliament

TIBILISI (May 14): Georgia's Parliament has voted through a divisive ‘foreign agent’ law that has resulted in weeks of mass street protests.

However, the legislation is almost certain to be vetoed President Salome Zourabichvili, which means it must be returned to Parliament for an override vote.

Critics say the Bill, which they call the ‘Russia Law, could be used to threaten civil liberties as it requires NGOs and independent media that receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from foreign donors to register as organisations "bearing the interests of a foreign power".

Similar legislation in Russia has been used by the Kremlin to clamp down on dissidents.

*********

Bureaucracy ‘not up to major reforms’

BELFAST (May 14): The interim leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party says there is insufficient expertise within the Province’s Civil Service to deliver needed public sector reform.

Gavin Robinson drew attention to comments from senior Civil Servants appearing before the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 Inquiry, which he said had been “contemptuous towards elected representatives”.

Mr Robinson said improving the lives of people in Northern Ireland required political vision and ambition, coupled with expertise and capacity from Civil Servants.

“Whilst most Civil Servants are striving to achieve the very best for the public, comments from some senior figures have not only been contemptuous towards elected representatives, but highlight a continued lack of expertise within our local Civil Service to deliver the ambitious reforms that schools, roads and hospitals require,” Mr Robinson said.

*********

Ukrainian conflict training in troubling times

KYIV (May 15): The first group of Ukrainian Civil Servants and Local Government officials have complete a program on Conflict Management in Public Institutions, developed locally with the support of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The program consisted of an online course and a three-day on-site practical training event focused on officers acquiring practical skills to analyse conflicts, plan conflict resolution efforts, conduct interviews with parties to the conflict and seek common ground.

Head of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, Nataliia Aliushyna said the officers were working in a stressful reality with many different challenges.

“Public service is part of society and it is important for us to be able to control our emotions and resolve conflicts emerging around us. The knowledge obtained during the training course will help us ensure a psychological balance at the workplace," Ms Aliushyna said.

*********

Iranian offer to dissident US students

TEHRAN (May 9): The Vice President of Shiraz University of Technology in southern Iran says the university will offer scholarships to students in the United States who have been expelled for taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses.

Mohammad Moazzeni said students and even professors who have been expelled or threatened with expulsion could continue their studies at Shiraz University and urged other Iranian universities to make similar offers.

Since April 18, more than 1,000 people have been arrested on over 25 campuses in the US. Pro-Palestinian protesters have also gathered on university campuses in Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Mr Moazzeni accused Western police of "autocratic methods" and said they had used "a lot of violence in order to contain this raging movement”.

*********

Kenyan village elders may join bureaucracy

NAIROBI (May 14): More than 45,000 village elders could soon be absorbed into the Kenyan Civil Service if plans mooted by the Government see the light of day.

Principal Secretary of the Interior, Raymond Omollo has invited Kenyans to give their views on the proposal following the National Assembly’s approval of a Bill sponsored by Member of Parliament, Mwengi Mutuse that recognises village administrative units with payments to village elders.

Mr Omollo said the elders provided crucial services to the public for free, contrary to provisions in the Constitution on fair labour practices.

Kenyans have until June 6 to submit their views and written memoranda on the proposed legislation and the National Government’s Village Administration Policy.

*********

Council to ban ‘confusing’ apostrophes

LONDON (May 10): In another example of the drift towards a post-literate society, North Yorkshire Council in the United Kingdom says it will ban apostrophes on street signs to avoid problems with computer systems.

In a statement, the Council said the punctuation point can affect geographical databases, and all new street signs would be produced without one, regardless of previous use.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Ordinance Survey is adding thousands of local nicknames for cliffs, caves, sandbanks, coastal car parks and buildings to its database so that emergency services know where they are going when called to an incident.

Examples are Stinky Bay referring to Pentire on the North Cornwall coast; Sausage Island for a popular rock on the coast of north-west Wales, and Crazy Mary’s Hole, a deep ravine in Pakefield, Suffolk, said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman whose husband was lost at sea.

 

A regular update of Public Service news and events from around the world

Union partners in digital rail card solution

Contractor Risk Management Software provider, Avetta has announced a partnership with the Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) to create a nationwide industry solution for all rail workers.

Avetta’s RailWallet will verify and manage rail worker qualifications and compliance with industry requirements and regulations.

National Secretary of the RTBU, Mark Diamond said many rail employers had expressed a desire to find a better, more portable rail card that captured the entire industry.

“Representing our 35,000 workers across Australia’s rail, tram, and bus industries, we approached Avetta with the proposal late last year to achieve what we believe is a first-of-its-kind innovation,” Mr Diamond (pictured) said.

“In collaboration with key industry representatives from the rail industry, the RTBU and Avetta have partnered to develop a solution that supports the safety and compliance of all rail workers.”

He said for the first time, rail workers would have access to their rail card directly from their mobile devices.

“There, they can view their roles, competencies and compliance progress, upload competency documents, check verification status, and complete training assignments and inductions,” Mr Diamond said.

“RailWallet will reduce administrative delays and streamline worker compliance, making it easier for rail employees to understand, achieve and maintain compliance to safely in conducting the work they are asked to perform.”

*********

EnviroGold files patent on metal extraction

EnviroGold Global Limited, a technology company enabling the global mining industry to monetise valuable metals contained in mine waste and tailings, has filed a patent application for an improved method of extraction of metals from refractory ores.

Chief Technology Officer, Brock Hill said the patent application followed an extended pilot study conducted at ALS Global’s Metallurgical Facility in Western Australia.

“The pilot study was designed to confirm process recoveries and identify any process challenges which could prevent the company from moving to full-scale commercial production,” Mr Hill said.

“The results of this work have enabled the company to significantly improve several components of its NVRO Clean Leach Process, including improved catalyst recovery, lower operational cost, and increased recovery of gold and silver from refractory ores.”

*********

Agreement seeks to boost lithium production

Standard Lithium Ltd. a near-commercial lithium development company, has announced a partnership with Equinor, a multinational energy company and recognised leader in renewables and low-carbon solutions.

The aim of the link is to accelerate the development of Standard Lithium’s large-scale, sustainable lithium projects in the Smackover geological formation covering Arkansas and Texas.

President of Standard Lithium, Andy Robinson said the company was at a critical stage of its growth, and the partnership with Equinor would be fundamental to the continued de-risking and execution of its world-class lithium-brine resources in Smackover.

“One thing that we have observed in the lithium world over the past decade is that strong, mutually-aligned partnerships are the key to successful project execution and operation,” Dr Robinson said.

*********

Venom’s BlackBook laptop wins top award

Melbourne-based manufacturer of high-end business laptop computers, Venom has been recognised by High Performance Laptops (HPL) with its Best Business Laptop award.

In a statement, HPL said in making the award it looked for weight, battery life, screen quality and size, ports and connectivity, web conferencing, build quality, security and service-level agreements.

Venom’s BlackBook Zero 14 Phantom G9 scored the highest in these categories overall, thus winning the category award for best business laptop.

Venom was also commended for its up-to-seven-year trade in program. Head of Hardware, Jaan Turon said Venom aimed to make worthy notebook computers that carried a monetary and environmental value long after the book value had been depreciated to zero.

An occasional round-up of international business stories

 

Fury builds over office working rule

OTTAWA (May 4): Canadian Federal Public Servants are continuing to speak out over the Government’s insistence that most employees will work in their offices for three days a week beginning later this year.

Tanya King, a transgender and autistic worker for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said she was concerned about the possibility of having to spend more time in the office, given that she has faced harassment and micro-aggressions from her co-workers in the past.

Ms King has been working exclusively from home while waiting for her Agency to approve her request to work remotely, on medical advice.

“I’m worried that it will be a catch-all, they will want all of us to go in without considering it on a case-by-case basis,” Ms King said.

She also said the Government should address issues with workers’ access to workspaces and equipment before sending them back to the office more often.

“In the past I’ve definitely found myself dealing a lot with work pass issues, security, network issues, equipment issues, desks not having chairs,” Ms King said.

Telework has been a major point of contention among unions and was a sticking point during last year’s Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) strike that involved more than 155,000 workers.

Christine, a Federal Public Servant who asked that only her first name be shared due to fear of reprisal, said employees were furious about the news.

Former Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick rejected the complaints, noting that half of the Public Service — workers at parks, museums, border crossings and laboratories — had always had to go to their workplaces.

“Obviously flexibility has been very welcome for some people, especially people with family responsibilities, but organisations have paid a price for it in terms of team cohesion and some productivity issues, and passing on corporate values and culture,” Mr Wernick said.

*********

Minister defends ‘unprecedented’ pay boost

KUALA LUMPUR (May 5): Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister has defended the outcome of the long-awaited salary revision for Civil Servants which has awarded an unprecedented 13 per cent increase.

Steven Sim Chee Keong said the increase was “appropriate and reasonable, considering the increased efficiency of Government services.

“It is also fair to Public Servants, as the salary structure for the country's front-line workers has not seen real change for more than 10 years,” Mr Sim said.

Noting that news of such an increase had been questioned is some areas, he said that in a democratic society “we naturally cannot escape from differing opinions and criticism regarding this decision”.

*********

International Court rejects Gaza arms sales ban

THE HAGUE (May 4): The International Court of Justice has rejected a request by Nicaragua for an immediate order to Germany to halt military and other aid to Israel and to renew funding to the United Nations aid agency in Gaza.

The court ruled that legal conditions for making such an order had not been met and rejected the request in a 15-1 vote. German officials had told the court the country was barely exporting any arms to Israel.

In a statement, the German Foreign Ministry said Germany was not a party to the conflict in the Middle East — “on the contrary, we are working day and night for a two-State solution”.

 The court did say it would continue to hear arguments from both sides on the merits of Nicaragua’s case. However, that process could drag on for years.

*********

EU moves to prop-up Lebanon’s economy

BEIRUT (May 4): Lebanon is to receive €1 billion ($A1.6 billion) from the European Union to support its faltering economy and its security forces.

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said the package would help bolster basic services, including health and education, and would take forward economic, financial and banking reforms.

She said support to the Lebanese army and other security Agencies would be focused on providing training, equipment and infrastructure to improve border management.

Lebanon's economy began to unravel in 2019 after decades of profligate spending and corruption. However, vested interests in the ruling elite have stalled financial reforms that would grant Lebanon access to a $US3 billion ($A4.5 billion) aid package from the International Monetary Fund.

*********

Jersey to trim ‘largest ever’ bureaucracy

ST HELIER (May 7): Jersey's Chief Minister, Lyndon Farnham has predicted jobs could go in the Channel Island’s Civil Service.

Mr Farnham said the Government was planning to curb the use of consultants and fixed-term contracts with outside companies.

He was commenting on new figures which show Jersey’s public sector is now the largest it has ever been.

"We'll be looking at various roles in the Cabinet Office, including communications and management structures right across the public sector — money for essentials such as health and roads is not at risk,” Mr Farnham said.

*********

NI takes action to improver diversity

BELFAST (May 7): The Northern Ireland Civil Service has launched its Diversity Action Plan, setting out how it intends to improve diversity and inclusion within the bureaucracy across the themes of gender, disability, LGBTQ+, race and ethnicity.

Welcoming the plan, Finance Minister, Caoimhe Archibald said diversity and inclusion was rightly a key strategic priority for the Civil Service.

“By having it at the heart of everything we do will help us attract and retain the best, most diverse talent; create diversity of thought to support better policy-making, and deliver better services to the people,” Ms Archibald said.  

“The Civil Service continues to make progress in its diversity and inclusion journey and this year’s plan provides the framework to build on our successes and drive further improvements to be a truly diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive”.

A regular update of Public Service news and events from around the world

 

Canadian miner in Bougainville venture

Island Passage Development Canada Limited (IPDC) has begun mineral exploration in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, in partnership with Isina Resource Holdings Limited (IRHL), a customary landowner company.

The two partners are exploring the 261 square kilometres of mineral property located in south-central Bougainville in the Crown Prince Range, south-east of the historic Panguna copper and gold mine.

This marks the first undertaking of a large-scale mineral exploration program on Bougainville outside the special mining lease held by Bougainville Copper Ltd since 1965.

It is also the first valid license for metals exploration on Bougainville issued under the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s 2015 Mining Act.

Director of IRHL and Chair of the Central Veterans Association, Steven Topesi said the Kongara people on Bougainville had always rejected claims on its mineral resources by outsiders.

“Now, as the recognised owners of our minerals, we are proud to be the first landowner company to invite an outside partner, Island Passage, to join with us to explore and develop what we have,” Mr Topesi said.

IPDC initiated the exploration program in March with a team led by several Indonesian geologists who are experienced on the island and specialised in porphyry copper geology and exploration.

The team is supported by more than 30 Bougainvilleans who have undergone field operations training.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive of IPDC, Donald McInnes said for 17 years beginning in 1972, Bougainville was host to one of the world’s largest copper-gold mines.

“Today, the world is chasing new supplies of critical and precious metals, and demand is driving gold and copper to new highs,” Mr McInnes (pictured) said.

“Island Passage Development is committed to working with the customary landowners of Bougainville through an innovative partnership to reassess the mineral potential of Bougainville and to provide a sustainable future for its people.”

*********

Plugging the gap in ammonia production

Green hydrogen company, Plug Power Inc. has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Allied Green Ammonia (AGA), an Australian company focused on green ammonia production.

Plug Power will supply up to three gigawatts of electrolyser capacity for AGA’s hydrogen-to-ammonia facility proposed for Australia’s Northern Territory.

Founder and Managing Director of AGA, Alfred Benedict said the MoU built on a long list of leading global firms who were joining the company on its journey to build one of the largest green ammonia production facilities in the world.

“This agreement, in light of Plug’s unrivalled expertise and complementary technologies, is a strong vote of confidence in our capabilities and a significant milestone in the planned delivery of Allied Green’s facility,” Mr Benedict said.

*********

Foreign tourists return to Italy

 

The Florence-based Centre for Tourism Studies (CTS) has released data showing that nearly seven million guests were recorded at Italian accommodation facilities over the Easter period, an increase of 1.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

Foreign tourists in particular increased by 3.2 per cent, while the percentage of Italians decreased slightly by 0.8 per cent, probably influenced by economic factors and a reduction in purchasing power.

The CTS found that foreign tourists showed a strong preference for art in cities and villages, while Italian tourists preferred beach or spa locations, in addition to showing a growing interest in slow tourism.

 

“This trend is confirmed by the success of FrecciaLink, the all-in-one train plus bus service offered by Trenitalia, and the use of trains as the favoured means of transport for these trips,” the CTS stated.

 

*********

YY Group expands into Vietnam

Singapore-based data and technology company, YY Group Holding Limited, specialising in intelligent labour-matching services and smart cleaning solutions, has announced its entry into Vietnam’s hospitality industry.

This follows YY Group’s successful entry into the Malaysian market last year.

The company already has a strong presence in Singapore, supplying skilled manpower to major hotels such as Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, and Shangri-La hotels and resorts.

Founder and Chief Executive of YY Group, Mike Fu said that building on this success, the company aimed to adopt the same innovative approach in Vietnam, tapping into the growing demand for high-quality hospitality staff in the region.

*********

Partnership to boost blockchain innovation

OKX Ventures, the investment arm of crypto exchange company OKX, says it will partner with Stanford University’s Future of Digital Currency Initiative (FDCI), promoting blockchain innovation and sustainability.

Partner of OKX Ventures, Jeff Ren said that through this collaboration, OKX aimed to advance the frontiers of knowledge, tackle industry challenges, and unlock new opportunities for innovation.

“We plan a series of initiatives in research, knowledge-sharing, technical collaboration, and community activities engaging students, institutions, regulators and more,” Mr Ren said.

“Stanford's Future Digital Currency Initiative is an institution known for its ground-breaking research and innovation in digital currencies.”

 

An occasional round-up of international business stories