Public service reform is the real issue

SIPTU president Jack O’Connor claims that the Government’s badly botched decentralisation scheme has now put at risk his union’s willingness to conclude a new social partnership agreement. However, the damage is probably much worse than this.

There is widespread evidence of the need for reform of the public service.

Whatever Government is elected next year needs to tackle the outmoded work practices, absence of accountability, demarcation disputes and salary relativities which have hamstrung delivery of value-for-money service from a relatively well-paid and highly secure sector for far too long.

It is also clear that SIPTU and other public service unions regard the secure and well-paid employment of its members as the primary function of both the public service and the semi-state companies, rather than efficient delivery of service to the public.

While their members may not legally own the means of production, they certainly possess the next best thing — the means of disruption — and there’s no doubt about their willingness to use it, officially or unofficially, as witnessed by the recent train strike.

The damage caused to industrial relations in the public service by the crude political stroke of including decentralisation in the 2003 budget will make the task of achieving meaningful reform all the more difficult.

Peter Molloy

9 Haddington Park

Glenageary

Co Dublin