Here are a few of my ideas for the country.
- reorganize your remaining public sector offices: as a student I was fortunate to have one internship at one of the government offices and even then, I saw how a lack of efficiency and even worse, self awareness, resulted in our scarce resources being wasted. Items such as persons having jobs and titles with no work load, persons exploiting the idea of being permanent workers therefore they can now ‘do as they like’, persons taking sick leave because they are being asked to pull their weight, persons going to lunch for several hours, should be frowned upon and result in the same level of reprimand that the private sector would do for their own employees. We need to stop encouraging a culture of inefficiency which results is poor customer service.
- the elected government officials who will not maintain their former sources of employment could consider self-imposing an austerity measure such as having a portion of their new salaries be redirected to other areas for which funding is needed. I.e., they could temporarily treat the holding of office as if they were a not-for-profit board member where they ‘give’ a donation to the cause (improving the country’s economic situation) In return for ‘getting’ to hold the government title.
- update the dress code for government offices and have training for those policing the policy. It is now 2018 and the absurd dress requirements at some of your offices leave patrons of government services agitated that they not only have to tolerate poor service, but also be told how to dress. I agree, some people have no self awareness but there are also times when persons have no resources to meet your overly strict requirements. Why cant the offices have a set of shawls or blazers available as options for those outside of the code to avoid the need to have to return to start a process they have already taken time off from work to complete? With that option, they can then choose whether they prefer to go and find alternate attire.
Submitted by A. Street
Offer voluntary retirement to persons between the ages of 57 and 59 with their full benefits on a case by case basis with the hope of capturing the s-scale staff
Then DO NOT fill those posts let the department of OPSR take on the reallocation of remaining staff in conjunction with the heads of the departments.
That way persons who leave would be leaving with their gratuity and pension and not as unemployed (money saved from non payment of wages will have to become pension and gratuity) in the long term, some of these people will start small businesses or will expand on the ones that they already have.
It's not the maids and general workers that need to be retrenched the service is too top heavy so much duplication of DPSs and PSs called all sorts of other names but with the same pay.
Fix productivity. Productivity is so low because the advertisement of posts and appointments are done in such an unfair manner persons cannot produce if they are always on egg shells. It's hard when you see your job advertise and there is no surety that you will get even an interview and you will be reverted if you don't
This appointment system has further deteriorated the morale within the service. There needs to be an appointment system that couples seniority and qualifications, a person cannot be acting in a post five years, qualified, getting proper reviews then to be told that they failed an interview, for that post
The service needs help . It's worst than I've ever seen it before.
There is a vacancy the next senior person should be considered, if they meet the qualifications standard then they get the post. If they do not the next most senior person who is qualified and so on.
That's the only way I see as a solution to the decaying morale of the service.
by Astrid Camille Street
To whom it may Concern,
I am not a person that really follows politics, I must admit, but if there is even a small chance that what i am about to suggest would make a difference to our country then i must give it a try.
In the Public Service, Temporary officers often feel the pains when it comes to be being paid their salaries. They often go months at a time without seeing a single cent and are expected to report to work everyday and to give 110% to their duties. These people have families and bills too just like the appointed persons but the way the current pay system is set up, not only is it unfair it affects these persons quality of living. How are we to feed our children, how are we to build homes, how are we to pay our bills, if we are forced to wait months for our salaries that we have earned? I am therefore proposing to this new government that All Officers are payed as they work in the public service.
My second suggestion is Job security in the Public Service. The Public Service have in persons who have a Temporary status for 10 and 20 years and that should not be. there is nothing more empowering than knowing that you are secure in your job and there is nothing more demoralizing than going to work everyday and not knowing if it will be your last? While i do respect that the Public and Private sectors are different; is it not possible to have people appointed sooner? can a person not be considered staff after they have worked a year straight in the service?
There is so much more that i would love to say on this subject because I am very passionate about it. I do believe that those two things would help the economy because it would increase spending. As a temporary officer you tend to try and hold your money for as long as possible because you do not know when next you will receive money again. If you are payed on time as you work you would feel less of the need to try and keep from spending you may allow yourself to spend a bit more because your payment is certain.
Economics has a psychological attribute to it, if you feel you have more you spend more, if you know your money is guaranteed you spend more, if you know your job is secure you spend more.
I thank you for reading my contribution and i do apologize for its length but as I said I am passionate about this and I felt the need to make a case for it. I do hope that this is something that can come to pass.
by Janice Waterman
Revamping the Public Sector to ensure that persons with the requisite skills and experience are not placed on the back burner while others who are not competent are promoted because of political and other affiliations. The majority of young, qualified public servants are frustrated and demotivated.
by
Cherone Burrowes
That workers employed in the following that is rostered to work the late shift be able to travel on Government transport free from 9 pm - 7.30 am. These employees will be from prison, fire service, military, nurses, customs, immigration, and ambulance.
(2) That jobs that require a degree, or post graduate qualification, that a clause be included to capture a worker who don't possess the degree, but is competent, has the years experience, or who has been acting in the post for at least 1 year. So when the post is advertised, it should read: Application for the post of Chief Environmental Health Officer, applicant should possess a post graduate degree, or not less than 3 years experience as a PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER, associate degree or equivelent in public health, a diploma in the inspection of meats and other foods. At present the post for CEHO require all that have been mentioned except the PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER with 3 years experience. I am asking that consideration be given to any PEHO with the 3 years experience to be eligible to face the interview panel
(3) To increase productivity in the public service, that incentives be created to stimulate workers to produce more, have less sick leave, less absenteeism. Incentives could be monetary, certificates, plaques, personal letters from the PS, caribbean trips, one extra week vacation with pay, or one extra month salary in any one year. ( I haven't had sick leave since 2001- 17 years sick free).
by Maurice Gaskin
Greetings,
I think that in this day and age our court system is very archaic, especially the maintenance department. I think it is a major inconvenience to have to leave Oistins Court with a maintenance cheque to have to travel to Warrens to have that cheque signed before it is changed.
On Wednesday, I collected a cheque from Oistins only to be told that the person who signs the cheques is on vacation, therefore I would have to travel to Manor Lodge for signatures before proceeding to the bank. Why are mothers who wish to do early back to school shopping being faced with such a grave inconvenience? I have my own transportation (but on this day in particular I was using public transport). My major concern is for others who solely rely on public transport.
As I tried to explain this to the court clerk, her reply was "duh could ketch de highway express. Daz only $2". No compassion at all as with most civil servants.
My suggestion is that before cheque books are issued to the respective courthouses, have them presigned with both required signatures. This should make things 100% easier for both mothers and clerks. It will also save us from having wasted an entire day travelling back and forth just to collect chump change.
Also, there needs to be some training for court clerks as well as other civil servants. Train them to be more compassionate towards clients and customers. We are not begging for the services in which they provide and should stop being treated as though we are.
I hope this email reaches the respective persons in good spirits. It is not meant to be offensive in any way.
Regards,
K. Chase
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