Govt to place its services in workers’ hands
23.09.2009
From next January, the government is to place all activities that are not essential to its proper functioning in the hands of the workers themselves through cooperatives, service agreements or contracts, Finance Minister Danny Faure said yesterday.
He made the announcement in the National Assembly, saying the change is in line with one of the main objectives of the economic reform programme whereby the state removes itself from economic activities and plays its role as a “facilitator” and regulator.
In the context of this reform programme, the government has decided that all such services will be carried out by the workers themselves on an agreement basis or management contract, or by a private firm, he said.
These services will be budgeted and paid for by the government.
They are as follows: security, cleaning of government offices, maintenance of gardens and public buildings, catering, tree felling, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, painting, electrical and mechanical work, and sewing services.
Concerning office cleaning, the government is setting up a cleaners’ cooperative service which will absorb all cleaners as from January 2010.
The cleaners will carry on working where they do now but will be paid directly by the cooperative and not by the government, which will pay the cooperative for providing the service.
Where the catering service is concerned, the government will offer a management contract to the group of School Meal Centre workers.
As for garden maintenance, the government is putting in place a Botanical Garden National Authority, which will employ all gardeners.
And carpenters, painters, masons, plumbers and electricians will have individual service contracts with the organisation they are already working for.
The government will also put in place a one-year reskilling programme for support staff like typists and clerks. While on the course, they will get an allowance that will be equivalent to their present salary.
Mr Faure said this training programme is a special one as it is aimed at preparing them to take up other jobs in the economic and service sectors.
In relation to security services, Mr Faure said – depending on the nature of the organisation where the security guards are working – that either an individual service agreement will be signed, a management contract drawn up or they will be absorbed by private security firms.
Since from next January the government will no longer provide these services on its own, working conditions will change as it will no longer be the direct employer.
In line with the procedures in force, therefore, the government will pay all benefits including compensation, gratuity and salary for a period of three months for all those workers who will no longer be employed by the public service as of December 31, 2009.
Mr Faure said the government will pay all these benefits before December 31.
As for the government courier service that covers drivers and messengers, Mr Faure said this will be reviewed as part of the plan to set up a new, independent postal services organisation.
The government is to bring a new law before the National Assembly, and it is expected that as from next year the postal services will no longer form part of the Ministry of Finance but will function as an independent body.