Pay negotiator is back as mystery suspension ends
Monday 11th January 2010, 2:30PM GMT.
A TOP civil servant who was suspended in mysterious circumstances nearly 10 weeks ago is today back at his desk, the Guernsey Press can reveal.
No disciplinary action has been taken against Public Sector Remuneration Committee chief negotiator Steve Naftel, raising questions about why he was removed from Frossard House in the first place.
PSRC chairman Allister Langlois (pictured) refused at the weekend to discuss Mr Naftel’s reinstatement.
‘I have no comment to make.
‘It is a civil servant matter,’ said the deputy, who is himself under pressure to explain a controversial secret pay settlement to airport firefighters, which was brokered after Mr Naftel and senior negotiator Terry Harnden had been excluded from the process.
A number of questions put to the Policy Council about this issue on Friday remain unanswered.
Despite the official silence, however, it is understood that the action against Mr Naftel was triggered over a disagreement between him and Simon Elliott, head of the Policy Council’s HR department, over the total cost of the secret airport firefighter pay deal.
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When Naftel was absent from negotiations the Firefighters received £4000 and now a further significant increase if the details in the article “£700 retention bonus means airport firefighters get rise that’s 18%-plus” are correct then it is understandable why Naftel has been brought back inside the fold.
Whatever one feels about Steve Naftel it is certain that such lavish agreements would not have been made if he was the lead negotiator.
Another factor could have been a lawyers letter warning of the adverse publicity a constructive dismissal case would bring on the States.
Another Jane Stephens type case would be a disaster.
Are Alistair Langlois and Simon Elliott up to the job?
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Can I just get something off my chest.
The Firefighters did not recieve a £4000.00 one off payment as previous posts have alluded too, but get a percentage of this each wk/mth until current talks and a new contract are finalised.It is a temporary payment that can be removed as easily as it is given.
Steve Naftel has not been in current negotiations,possibly,because he has been seen as detrimental to moving forward and,perhaps a little complacent in his perception on negotiation techniques.
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I hope a Deputy,male or female, has the gonads to ask the difficult questions at the next States meeting.
It appears that hundreds of thousands of taxpayer’s pounds are being squandered in these employment spats and all we get is that it is an internal matter and hopefully lessons will be learned.
If questions are not asked ,or not answered , it will just confirm the view of many that the States is little more than a friendly but pointless gentleman’s club of chinless wonders
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Time Allister Langlois realised he represents the people of Guernsey.
Whatever happened to open government?.
I bet if Langlois and Elliot had negotiated a good deal for the taxpayer, they would have told us the detail.
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ray
Apart from the costs, you have to wonder if one negotiator is suspended for 10 weeks and another effectively sidelined, whether there is a case of too many staff at PRSC?
Time for economies?
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“Its a Govt matter” – yes thats why we are entitled to know!
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There’s always two sides to any dispute at least people are now begining ask questions about the role PRSC’s so called negotiators in the dispute.
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The President Alistair Langlois and the rest of the PRSC, will now negotiate with Ron Le Cras in the following way.
Alistair. What percentage do you want Ron?
Ron. Alistair we want not less than 25%, or we go on strike.
Alistair. What if we offer you 18%, could we come to some agreement?
Ron. I think my members will agree reluctantly, with this offer, but reserve the right to have our CM in reserve. He should be there and allowed to give us a little extra,to keep us happy if needed.
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Equet
I would respectfully suggest that the initial response from Langlois / Eliott is more likely to be 36% not 18% if past experience is anything to go by.!!!!!!
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I think States members should be asking more questions about the number of workers who are suspended for long periods at a time (on full pay of course – as suspension is not an admission of guilt). We have heard about the doctor suspended for 2 years on full – what else is being hidden. Do we, the public, have the right to know how many states workers have been suspended in the last 2 years for e.g. and at what cost? I think we should – it could still remain anonymous so that the people involved were not named – just the departments!
If the GP is right and this civil servant was suspended for sending an e-mail around then the island really has gone barmy. This HR guy has only been in Guernsey a few months and no doubt earning a very high wage and also the other perks which licence holders get i.e rent or mortgage paid for and storage of furniture etc.
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Ron Le Cras has just stated on Channel Television that he telephoned Lyndon Trott, as he regarded him to be the Prime Minister of Guernsey.
This statement beggars belief.
If the head of the Union does not or is not prepared to go through the correct channels in an Industrial dispute, I am sorry, but he should be on his way……..
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Deepthroat Donkey
Surely the problem was that the union HAD been trying to negotiate with a brick wall for several years
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