Showdown on spending cuts
Friday 23rd April 2010, 3:00PM BST.
AS tension over public sector pay reaches boiling point, with hundreds of States workers preparing to march through town tomorrow, a damning report has shown that ministers have ignored cost-cutting measures for almost two years.
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and manual workers are expected to take part in tomorrow’s march, which starts at Howard Davis Park at noon and ends at the Jersey Opera House.
Jersey’s biggest teaching union, the NASUWT, will ballot members on strike action on Monday and a union spokesman has described the tension between teachers and bosses as ‘unprecedented’.
Ministers also face pressure from the other side of the political spectrum. The Public Accounts Committee – the States’ in-house spending watchdog – has tabled a report this morning criticising ministers’ failure to implement cut suggestions, including an overhaul of pay.
They say that suggestions in the 2008 report by the States’ independent spending watchdog have been actively opposed within departments.
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The Island is just going to go bust. The Jersey Civil Servants will never let go from their self centred selfish attitude whilst they ignore the plight of so many people in Jersey who are either unemployed or struggling.
Let them strike and then just sack them.
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And we are meant to be surprised are we at this announcement?
It is crystal clear to every “normal” Islander that the States are leaderless, without strategy and unable (or unwilling) to make decisions that are tough. We have a top heavy Government, which then requires a top heavy civil service and bloated States sector, where the important people are ignored and the administrators and managers are rewarded.
Key services should be privatised now, the cost of Government should be slashed, and the twenty plus people who sit in the DVLA waiting for something to happen rather than dealing with customers should be fired. Come on lets list on this the number of examples of over manning that we can all see on this article now, and then on Monday the States can start dealing with them?
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Which Ministers? What were our elected representative doing?
Name names and then, if necessary, we can vote them out. Ministers and senior civil servants first. If there are to be cuts let us start at the top!
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It was interesting to see how many teachers were unable to make the first day of the new term due to being stuck is far flung parts of the globe following the volcano fall out. I wonder if their comrades in the UK will feel such a sense of solidarity when they realise that actually, Jersey teachers are rather better off than most.
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Well they aren’t going to reduce spending when they get this years budget based on what they spent last year!
And if they bust their budget then they get bailed out..
And what do our dear leaders do to raise the extra funds required up go the taxes, up go the charges, while handing out money for ridiculous non essential statues, grants, contractors, inquiries, jaunts and off island ‘experts’.
No one takes the blame, no one is accountable and nothing is done.
Anyone else noticed that the so called stimulus fund is being used to pay for states works that otherwise would never get passed or budgeted for.
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Well if they play fast and loose with our money we should play fast and loose with our tax returns. Then maybe they will listen when we stop handing over the money. Unfortunately thats the beauty of ITIS – they’ve got us over a barrel.
Need to cut the size of the states by about a quarter. I suggest the upper quarter measured from the shoulder blades
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Mark – Unfortunately you can not vote out a Civil Servant and until the public of the Island are prepared to pay a going rate for their politicians those elected will always overly rely on the assistance, guidance and support of those Civil servants making them untouchable.
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Most of these ministers would not last a week in the private sector,and noway earn what they do now.They have never had it so good,
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(1) Matt
not sure how much you know about Employment Law, but you cant sack someone for holding a legitimate furtherance of a dispute. As long as the action was taken by a legal ballot- the individual or union is protected from the law and therefore protected from prosecution and termination.
it is the individuals right to protest as long as its done legally
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The overspend is currently £64 Million per year
That is £1.2 Million per week
That is huge amount of overspend for an island of 40 square miles, the States need to get their fingers out, now!
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@Onlooker.
You seem to assume that UK teachers lack sufficient funds to leave Britain, unlike the super-rich Jersey teachers who spend their half-terms sipping gold-rimmed cocktails by the poolside in Dubai.
Teachers take their holidays when they are allowed to eg when the kids are on their break, hence many would have been away over the Easter holiday. The fact that several of them made it to distant destinations is of no real import to anyone…would you rather they spent their breaks camping in St Brelades?
Fair play to those that can afford the break, I say. Bet your bottom dollar however that those that made it to ‘far flung places’ will be at the upper end of management or alternatively single with no family to support.
Mick
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Given that his latest clam to fame is to say the offices at the end of the tunnel are unsuitable..we are paying Steven Izatt £287K..oh and 89pence,£42,500 in bonuses…bonuses for what…these are usually for making an over and above profit ..and £30,990 in accomodation..why would he not pay his own..? why us…?and who decides to pay him…? it is a 7.6 % raise..for what..it is playing into the teachers hands alright ..how can you say it’s o.k. for him but not them…once again the old adage …Lead by example or fail.
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States Worker – Problem is that with the current salary and no pension we are unlikely to attract any better. No way would I give up a career for £40k no pension or job security and the constant slagging off our States members receive. We the electorate are only prepared to offer potential politicians peanuts yet constantly complain that we are only able to attract monkeys. Whilst we save a few thousand on politicians salaries the Civil Service fleece us for hundreds of millions. To quote Stuart “you could not make it up” – mind you he has done well out of the Jersey Taxpayer.
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Sanity (7) Unfortunately you can not vote out a Civil Servant
Correct, but whilst we tolerate a self serving mentality, even by a few, the weak within our politicians will head for the cliff like a bunch of lemmings.
Poor management of epic proportions. Too many advisors, not enough front line doers.
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No one (or the JEP article tonight , nor the leader) mentions John Richardson. Deputy Chief Executive who is paid in excess of £200K probably more, plus a personal assistant at about £40, to actively cut costs within the States. That was the description of his new job. How much has he actually saved (not identified) And what has he been doing since leaving TTS in the capable (?) hands of the new CEO John Rogers? Except for seeming rather irrritable in scrutiny hearings as can be read on the States website.
There’s only one term that can describe this state of affairs and that is business as usual, the ‘Jersey Way’.
Add in WEB Chairmans’ huge salary reported tonight ( and lack of profit) and you wonder why the public are sick to the back teeth of the whole sorry process.
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I will be marching tomorrow, not for a rise in my pay, but for an improvement in my conditions of service.
Many members of the public appear to think this is just about money, and that we have a “self centred selfish attitude”………what I believe I will be doing tomorrow is making a stand against a government who have not agreed to even listen, let alone comment on conditions of service which, despite what many think, have changed dramatically in the decade I have been teaching in Jersey.
I have been encouraged by the support that my students have shown in relation to this subject, with many saying that they will join us on part, if not all of the march tomorrow. Amazing that the youth, who are so poorly portrayed in the media these days, appear to have a much more open minded approach then many of the adults in our community. I will be proud to walk with them and to be part of a partnership of people who are standing for what they believe in and am glad to be part of a society which allows this.
Onlooker – I was unable to take a holiday this Easter as I could not afford to take my family away. But, if I had, do I not have the right? Am I not entitled to leave the island at the nominated times of the year when the States tell me that my holidays are? I don’t see the problem? I guess it is the fact that I have so many weeks off the year that is really the problem……….I realise how lucky I am to be able to spend these weeks with my children, but we all made the choices regarding what job to undertake in our lives, mine just happens to have long holidays. As Mick points out “Teachers take their holidays when they are allowed to eg when the kids are on their break” – this is not our choice but the choice of our government.
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I expect things to get even worse under the type of people the electorate have a habit of returning time after time. You would have thought the electorate would have learnt by now wouldn’t you?
Sanity why do you think waving a wade of money will make the type of candidates better? Jersey only has a small population compared to the likes of the UK. Many are moaning about the quality of candidate in the UK and they get paid much more money than they do in Jersey. I think it would be more money thrown away. Mind you I would agree in having a cull of civil servants I believe much money could be saved in this area.
Mark makes a valid point with a service to self mentality, things will only get worse. Things will only get better when the group mentality outways the I’m alright Jack mentality. Jersey unfortunately is now plagued with the me, me, me brigade and all the attendent problems this brings.
As per you’re last line “All Chiefs and No Indians” sums it up nicely I think.
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If the Ministers were accountable they would keep within their budgets. Any overspend should result in dire consequences for the overspenders. To me it is obvious that with the present overspend reaching £64million per annum (figure as per ‘Overpopulated’), heads should roll. In the private sector a business would go belly-up with overspend of that magnitude. Budgets are there to prevent overspending otherwise what’s the point of preparing them if they are ignored? Luckily for the Ministers, they can recover their excesses from you and I by increasing our taxes or cutting back on services, etc. Pity we can’t ‘talk’ with our tax wallets to show that we taxpayers mean business! At least in the future we can ‘talk’ with our vote should the Ministers not zip the Ministerial wallets!
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Jeez Louise @16
I will be marching tomorrow, not for a rise in my pay, but for an improvement in my conditions of service.
Goodness me ! Jeez does that mean a shorter working week, extra holidays, less work to do etc etc. Let me try and explain it to you, you want a lot more but for the same money and this equals a pay increase. You have been offered one . Yes only 2% non backdated but thats more than many in the private sector.
This is the problem we have now have, that the public sector have been spoilt rotten ( with limited exceptions ) over the years.
Well done Terry Le Suer and Phillip Ozouf stick by your guns. Judging by last nights JEP none of your ministers have cut back.
Finally 500,000 public sector jobs to go after the elections in the UK. Times news last week.
Count yourself lucky you have a well paid job and gold plated index linked pension.
Davey.
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As an ex CEO,I know that the majority of politicians have no experienec of business management and rely on incompetent Civil Servants to run departments and provide answers.Until proper controls and accountability are put in place ,within States departmets and government positions,this sad situation will continue with overspends and deteriorations in service provision.
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Davey West
Want the truth?
I did march this morning……..and it felt good. I marched alongside students i teach, parents who support as well as people from other services who have been affected by the current situation, who were also marching for conditions of service.
“Goodness me ! Jeez does that mean a shorter working week?” Really? Can i? Are you serious?Sure my husband would be made up to hear that i dont have to work from 2000-2330 on top of my normal 0825-1500 day (where i rarely leave before 1700 anyway).
“extra holidays” Nope…my holiday entitlement is more than adequate thank you as it enables me to spend quality time with my children. ALTHOUGH – if i could maybe swap one of my summer holiday weeks to have one during term time so i could actually afford to go abroad that would be fabulous if you could arrange it
NB…in the holidays i do spend time in work (usually with my children) and at home working (altho i am sure you wont believe me.)
“less work to do” I love my work, but the workload has increased hugely in the last decade. Sure you in your job know of situations where if you agree to do new things in good will it is only a matter of time before this good will is taken advantage of and you are expected to continue to take on more for nothing extra for the piggy bank?
Let me try and explain it to YOU……..
Is Jersey life not getting more expensive? A trip to the supermarket for a family of four has virtually doubled since GST has been introduced (how did that happen when “only” 3% was supposed to be added?). My kids LOVE Super Noodles (
), in the last 3 years they have gone up from 46p (Safeway)-99p (Spar). How is that correct?
So, what is the answer to the problem? Do i get the next boat out in the morning? No, because I love the island I was born on and I want my children to grow up here in the safety of our society as I did, with the high standards of education that I had. The boat is not the solution (plus the fact, it is also VERY expensive to go anywhere on the boat!). Marching for the rights of the people (it was not about teachers pay this morning) in a way that i was entitled to was my way of trying to make a difference. If it makes no difference, well, at least we tried…..if it does, all the better for people who are feeling the pressure.
“Count yourself lucky you have a well paid job and gold plated index linked pension”…I do. With family and friends in other jobs, at risk I do. I marched for them too this morning. My pension? As a younger teacher i will no doubt be working til i am 65 (the thought of teaching teenagers, as i do, at this age sends me into spasm!…….maybe i should have worked in Customs & Excise or for the police?) and my package will be far less “gold plated” then my predecessors.
Davey…..we are all sensible people…we all have rights and responsibilities….different lives….have made different choices….have different opinions. I do understand your viewpoints, and i can understand how it must look for someone on the outside looking in. That is why forums like this are so interesting (and a little addictive!)……fancy work shadowing me one day (not one in the holidays tho eh?!).
Jeez xx
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16 & 21 Jeez Louise. Most posters on this site seem to think all Public Sector workers are lazy, overpaid, have massive pensions and work about two days per week. Oh, and don’t forget our huge annual leave entitlements when we jet off to the Seychelles every month.
Thought you raised a good point about the youth in your 2nd paragraph. I find the attitude to kids in Jersey utterly appalling. ‘Speak when you’re spoken to, otherwise keep your trap shut’ seems to be the attitude towards them!! And they wonder why a small minority have no respect for authority!!!
Right, I’m off to the harbour before someone tells me about the boat leaving in the morning.
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15 Castlecaretaker
” And what has he been doing since leaving TTS in the capable (?) hands of the new CEO John Rogers?”
Preparing for the cuts which are apparently now needed, that is what the job was meant to do. The economic downturn has been a gift for any would-be hatchet men – all their Christmas’s and birthdays in one. This was going to happen with or without a recession.
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No 6 Chubber
I like the idea of us playing fast and loose with our own money but as you so elequently put it Itis has most of us ” over a barrel” .
What about though if you are lucky enough to be an owner occupier and think a bit of direct action is called for , when your parish rates form drops on the mat A dont fill it in , B dont pay the fine for not filling it in , and then C dont pay the rates when the bill arrives !!! If enough people did this and told the relevant people the parish administrations could not cope and it would then certainly concentrate at least 12 of our states member’s minds i.e. the Constables that people are not happy. Thing is though is there enough of us out there with the “chutzpah ” to do it
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#21 You certainly make some good points. Unless people have a close relationship with a teacher then they will have no idea how much the job has changed since many teachers started.
All jobs change over time, but teaching has changed a lot even just since I left school. My sister has taught for 5 years. Last year she got a letter from the Council stating that teachers were now expected to watch out for signs of children being taken abroad for arranged marriages… I mean, WTF! It’s no longer teaching; it’s security guard, social worker, counsellor, ‘babysitter’ for children with special needs, and occasional punching bag. All of which detracts from the job of teaching. I don’t believe teachers necessarily need a pay increase but I strongly believe they should be allowed to ditch the other jobs and get back to being teachers, ‘just’ teachers.
Also, like many other teachers I know, my sister gives up a lot of her holiday time to run youth clubs. As far as she, and her colleagues, are concerned, the less parental input kids have during the holidays the more problems the teachers will have to deal with during term time. It’s their time, given up for free, but they don’t really see that there is any other choice given the sorry state of parenting these days.
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Davey West if the private sector aren’t interested enough to be unionised so as to get decent conditions thats not the public sector’s fault. I don’t equate decent pay and conditions as being spoilt rotten. You know the old saying about paying peanuts…. My definition of being spoilt rotten is not having to work, having everything a plate and knowing no one will dare upset you.
As per indexed linked pensions it is my opinion that one of these is required to enable someone the chance to retire in their feebler years, and have some proper freedom away from work constraints. Please remember they are thinking of upping the old age pension and work pensions to 70 years or more. What a disaster for many more people who won’t even get the chance to sample some sort of freedom, by popping off before their 70th birthday.
A financially independent person doesn’t have to worry about such necessities as pensions, or indeed work, being able to spend their time as they see fit and where they wish. No nasty bosses or job insecurity for them. How many would prefer to be in this position I wonder?
reggio a valid point about rates this is one of the few areas where Joe Public can make their feelings felt. However I believe too many are too soft and will role over at the first sign of trouble.
I believe this is the crux of the problem in Jersey as not enough are strong enough to say enough is enough, and mean it regardless of establishment threats to tow the line. Just look to France to see what happens when the public gets upset by their government.
Jeez Louise things are only going to get worse. Wait till GST gets ramped up. 30-40 years ago the average family only needed one bread winner to be able to survive, now it is two, soon three jobs will be needed. The quality of life is getting worse and worse for the lower orders. If this is what people call progress you can stuff it as far as I am concerned.
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