How can we measure unions’ work-to-rule?

THE trade union work-to-rule in the public sector begs a few pertinent questions.

What rules are they referring to?

I believe they are inducing management to employ time and motion studies to make ergonomic estimates of industrial and administrative processes in the services.

The results will quantify what is an average volume of productivity in each process and then compare this with similar functions in private companies.

Yesterday I sought information from the HSE about the number of phone calls per day its medical card section deals with.

Some GPs believe this figure is limited to 80 and no more in their work-to-rule. Apparently, Quinn Direct answers 150 calls per day in the same general area of administrative activity.

Perhaps we may find that if the public sector “worked to a quantified rule” all the time, services would improve.

Interesting.

Dr Bill Tormey

(FG city councillor)

Glasnevin Ave

Dublin 11