wasn't going to reply but....
Rory, Darag, and Contango. Having already seen the emotion rising to the surface, I wasn't planning to reply but here goes a couple of bits worth.
After I receive the 7% + 13% + sup+sub, my salary in 2005 will be the same as it was in 1996 when I worked in industry. A former colleague of mine who went to college with me, has the same degree, etc who is still in industry will in 2005 be earning double what I will be earning. Everyone one of us has our individual data points which we base our arguments. All of our data is correct, the role of the benchmarking body was to collate and compare across all job functions in the country to see what was needed to be done.However nobody seems to know how they reached their conclusions. Even Mr Mc Creevey is on record as saying he doesn't know.This is the tragedy with benchmarking.The numbers are not transparent, so we all go on our individual tales, like your of the gaurd retired at 45 etc.
In the late 90's early 00's the papers were full of 2 things, property and public service jobs. Chock a block each week. Teachers nurses, all grades of public servants... They couldn't be filled.Public servants could hardly work in the capital as the price of property was so high. We all want to be the public servant who works in Ballsbridge or stephens green but not the one who teaches in Belmullet, where the heat doesnt work and the ceilings fall in. ( Actually happened in our school last week, ceiling collapsed on a teacher).I regulary do maintenance work in our school to keep in hanging together.As do lots of others.
Thanks to the eejits in ASTI teachers have become the busmen of the 70's or ILDA drivers of this century. The nation seems to want to come and lynch teachers when/where ever it can.
Since joining the Public service, I have nothing but respect for those who daily battle with the system. The system is made up of other public servants but it is impossible to get anything done/changed/improved. Unlike management in industry who through enlightened management techniques over the last 30 years, are now open to customer focus,results,change, improvement, employee conditions, flexibility etc, as long as it improves the bottom line, Public service management up to senior department level dont seem to have grasped the idea. Hence loads of intelligent public servants have become disenfranchised.
I totally believe that Parent teacher meetings should be on in the evenings, as long as banks,shops,business's etc are open in the evenings, however that wouldnt suit all the people who work night shift.There is no time of the day which will suit all folk.And this herring has been thrown out before.(Teachers are parents too, and PT meetings also inconvience them).But if the majority of folk want it then lets have it. (Business's open in the evenings that is)
I totally agree with the notion of a much smaller public service, well paid, and measured on performance. The taxpayer would benifit, the public and last but not least the public servant. But until the vested interests of the country do something substantial, nothing will change. If we had a slimmed down public service in the morning, who would pay the dole of the extra 100,000 former public servants. You and I would.
PPF or social partnership is crap, but its the best form of crap we have had in the country ever. The bottom line numbers for growth, stability, employment, poverty,etc substantially improved under all the ppf type agreements. It is along way from perfect, but remember the alternatives of the 70's 80's