Taoiseach out of touch with private sector

LIKE a majority of fair-minded citizens I have spent much energy feeling helpless and outraged at the apparent illogical and self-serving behaviour of our political leaders.

Reflecting on this a thought struck me: how can an intelligent man such as Taoiseach Brian Cowen be so out of touch with the realities of those especially in the private sector.

Realities for state-employed citizens and for those in the private sector, I believe, have important differences. These include business experience, pay, measurable performance, appropriateness and quality of training, conditions of employment, sick pay, pension benefits and security of employment. A CSO report last December stated that as of September 2009 there were 360,900 public sector employees.

Little wonder then that, as yet, no Taoiseach has stepped forward to bring reality to the public sector. Would you face down such a number of voters, their families and their friends?

Where can non-revolutionary changes be made? The ratio between managers and staff employed by the state is very high.

The HSE is adopting a new ‘lean’ approach whereby any step in a process that does not add value should be removed. Imagine this being applied to everyone in government and employed by government.

Give everyone a fair chance to prove they add value; if they do not, then they must learn quickly how to do so or find new employment, possibly in the real-world private sector.

William Spratt

New Road

Limerick