BELFAST (January 18): One of Northern Ireland’s largest trade unions has called for a campaign of “public disobedience” to protect public services in the Province.
The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa), which represents thousands of Civil Servants and other public sector workers, said the narrative that “normalises the erosion” of services must be disrupted.
Teachers, nurses, health workers, education support workers, police staff and Civil Servants were among those who took part in a ‘day of action’ over an outstanding pay award for public sector workers.
The trade unions involved have a combined membership of more than 150,000 workers who took part in large-scale demonstrations and parades across the Province.
The economic loss due to the strike action has been estimated at more than £10 million ($A19 million).
Deputy General Secretary of Nipsa, Patrick Mulholland said the very fabric that binds communities together was being torn apart by cuts, privatisation and neglect.
“The unions have been battling to protect our vital services, but it is time for the public to take a stand, to make their voices heard and to play their part in the fight,” Mr Mulholland said.
“Alongside this day of actions I am calling for a campaign of public disobedience and resistance against the dismantling of our public services, because we must disrupt the narrative that normalises the erosion of our services.”
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Top job for sacked Norwegian Minister
OSLO (January 17): Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre has defied a storm of criticism by appointing his sacked Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt to be the country’s next Ambassador to the United States.
It is only three months since he dismissed Ms Huitfeldt after her husband’s stock trading landed her in various conflicts of interest.
“If this happens, Jonas Gahr Støre is exhibiting very poor judgment,” Leader of the Opposition Progress Party, Sylvi Listhaug said in a newspaper interview.
Other critics include professors, political commentators, editorial writers at several of Norway’s major newspapers and professional diplomats within Norway’s Foreign Ministry, all claiming that the conflict-of-interest issue aside, there are more qualified applicants for the post.
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Officers advised to say no to gifts
SINGAPORE (January 19): Sources within the Singapore Public Service say it is best to decline gifts when offered to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
“In cases where Public Servants are pressured to receive the gift, protocol mandates that all items must be declared to the relevant Department,” the sources said.
The issue emerged after former Transport Minister, S. Iswaran was charged with receiving items worth hundreds of thousands of Singapore dollars from billionaire hotelier, Ong Beng Seng, including more than $S347,000 ($A393,000) worth of Singapore F1 Grand Prix tickets.
He is also said to have corruptly obtained from Mr Ong a paid-for trip to Doha in exchange for advancing the tycoon's business interests.
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‘Civic Duty’ initiated as tensions mount
STOCKHOLM (January 20): A year and a half since Sweden submitted its application to join NATO, a looming sense of potential conflict has swept the country as citizens are warned to prepare themselves for the possibility of war.
Although not everybody is required to do military service — only a small proportion of the population is called up against their will — the Government is now restarting Compulsory Civic Duty, a form of national service which was dismantled after the Cold War.
The new mandatory Civic Duty will at first apply only to those who are trained in emergency services and electricity provision, but it is the first step in what is expected to be a much broader national service program.
In a speech at a National Defence Conference earlier in the month, Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson said the country was “step by step building up the new total defence”.
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PS recruitment centre kept busy
HONG KONG (January 15): A recruitment centre set up by Hong Kong’s Civil Service Bureau, has processed more than 16,000 job applications in its first three months.
Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said the centre received more than 7,000 Assistant Clerical Officer applications and 5,000 for Clerical Assistant, while 4,000 sought work as Personal Secretaries.
"We have been making orderly arrangements for applicants to undergo skill tests and selection interviews at the recruitment centre, with the target of issuing the first batch of appointment letters next month," Ms Yeung said.
She said the centre would strengthen year-round recruitment publicity for jobs in the Clerical and Secretarial grades.
All applicants must first pass tests in the Basic Law and National Security Law.
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