  |
GSLP Liberals produce discussion document for the Civil Service
|
The GSLP and Liberal Parties have issued a Discussion Document on a better future for Gibraltar’s Civil Service. It has been drawn up based on information supplied by Civil Servants and public sector workers at meetings which the Opposition and GSLP Leader Fabian Picardo has held with:
- the Committee and Section Reps of the GGCA;
- the District Committee and the Shop Stewards of Unite;
- the Committee of the Gibraltar Teachers Association (some concerns of which are relevant to the Civil Service generally and not just schools and education);
- the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce; and
- various existing and previous members of the Committee of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses.
The work done in respect of the Discussion Document has included talks with serving and retired senior civil servants.
Fabian Picardo said: “The time has come to work with the Civil Servants to bring about a rebirth of the Service steered by the watchwords of Respect, Support and Commitment, which I have previously referred to when explaining our attitude to the Civil Service.”
The lengthy and detailed document is broken down into sections and will be made available to all representative organisations, to every civil servant and the public on the websites of the GSLP, the Liberal Party and on www.change.gi.
The document includes consideration of flexible and changed working hours in a modern context, making getting the job done in the required time and not being in the office the priority. Reference is made to the important work of Human Resources management, the need for Ministers not to interfere in such matters and opening up the Civil Service to the main Opposition parties in the run-up to a General Election (an issue already highlighted by Mr Picardo).
Joseph Garcia said: “Everything in the document is designed to be for discussion with the GGCA, Unite and the GTA. Nothing in this document is to be imposed on anyone; it is to be discussed further to enable us together to build the best Civil Service for the task and which Gibraltar needs.”
Picardo stressed: “We have no intention of being secretive about our ideas. We want to share our views about the future of the Service and work with the people within it to shape the Civil Service this community needs and Civil Servants want to deliver.
“I know that there are so many talented people within the Civil Service and the GDC that one of the things I am most looking forward to, if we do win the election, will be working with the people who are in the Service and who will be responsible for working alongside the GSLP LIBERAL team to deliver on the exciting and positive manifesto that we will propose to the electorate.
“I believe that we can resource the Service, make it the best employer in Gibraltar and an exciting place to work on delivering our programme for the future. Much of what we have already talked about in respect of freedom of information, changing the Development and Planning Process, reforming Parliament and making government fully responsive to the citizen will require new systems of work. This document is about making those things happen and giving new impetus to the Civil Service and GDC and especially the people within them.”
Picardo added: “We must provide the resources for Civil Servants and other public sector workers, including GDC employees, to be able to provide a modern Public Service. As we lay down the wide ranging political reforms proposed, the Civil Service must evolve in tandem to enable it to interface properly with our new social, economic and political vision for Gibraltar.”
Garcia added: "In order to deliver on our manifesto commitments we will need a modern Civil Service that is confident about its ability to do the job Gibraltar is going to entrust us to do if we win the election."
18-10-11
|
|
|
|
