STATES workers could be helped to set up their own small businesses as part of the move to axe 500 public sector posts.
Policy and Resources chief executive Bill Ogley says employees could be encouraged to leave voluntarily by helping them branch out by themselves.Under the Five Year Vision for the public sector 300 posts will be axed and another 200 are expected to be cut under the fundamental spending review.
The plan involves the creation of a customer services unit to handle all the public’s dealings with States departments.
It will also centralise States support services such as finance, human resources and IT and should eliminate duplication.P & R say that compulsory redundancies will be a last resort and they will use redeployment, non-replacement and voluntary retirement and redundancy first.In today’s Saturday Interview, Mr Ogley says that could be extended to helping people realise their ambitions outside the public sector.’If someone says they want to leave to set up their own business, maybe we should help them with some retraining.
Maybe we could help them with some contracts for us,’ he says.
‘It’s another new small business, it’s good for the economy and it’s good for the Island.’Mr Ogley has promised to work with public sector employees to deliver a service that the Island can be proud of.’We have to work with people who are actually doing the jobs.
There are many good things happening in the public service and we need to build upon them,’ he says.He has also spoken of his surprise at the ‘extreme’ views that people hold about the public sector and the low esteem in which it is held.
And he says the Jersey is in danger of talking itself down into a spiral, despite the fact that the Island is a ‘great’ place to live.
Article posted on 20th March, 2004 - 12.00am
Most Commented: