AN ANNOUNCEMENT by the Policy Council that it has accepted a conclusion from an independent report that there is a case for reconsidering the way in which the States engages with its employees over pay and conditions had all the appearances of being issued in haste.
And it is certainly something that the council will regret at its leisure.
For whether ministers meant it or not, the effect of the statement is to say that the current negotiator, the Public Sector Remuneration Committee, is not fit for purpose. And unless the council has a replacement body very close to becoming operational, that leaves the PSRC having to go into next year’s round of negotiations – which will start before the end of the year – under what will be seen as pretty much a vote of no confidence.
The other aspect of the announcement is that the council has had the report, on the role of the States as an employer, since February and it highlights issues that go way beyond the operation of the PSRC.
Firstly, no one is sure who actually is the employer and, because Guernsey is a small, tight-knit place, there is a tendency in government to avoid difficult or embarrassing situations.
Some of the difficulties the reviewer highlighted could be dealt with by clear, focused and visible leadership at political and executive levels – but he found that lacking.
‘The political and executive structures of Guernsey public sector are complex and lack a clear leadership focus,’ he said. This adds to the confusion and led to an over-optimistic feeling that difficult issues would resolve themselves.
Additionally, the report found that not replacing the council’s head of human resources was a major weakness that required urgent rectification.
It was after highlighting these problems that the review went on to say the PSRC was compromised by a lack of independence and fresh, innovative thinking in employee relations and negotiations.
So, while the role of the PSRC or its successor needs reform, it is just one element of a package of change – and probably the least challenging to implement.
Which is exactly why the council has seized on it.
Article posted on 21st August, 2008 - 2.30pm
One Article Comment
A major problem is that the various parts of the States have used the “who is the employer” way out of accepting their responsibility, for far too long.
The less than pleasant negotiating staff at the old Civil service Board, and its retarded child - the PSRC, have managed to create environments, where any sensible negotiation is well nigh impossible to achieve.
The fact that politicians’ have been unable to bring any common sense to the negotiating table seems to be recognised by the policy Council.
One thing we can be fairly certain of is that Industrial Tribunals are going to be busy in the next year or so, doing the work of the paid staff at PRSC and its political masters.