I did the state some service.
It was only for six months but I was a civil servant. It was a touchy feely section of the Department of Justice and my CV was full of touchy feely stuff at the time. My first time in an open plan office. It was the start of a beautiful relationship.
It was a normal office full of normal people. It was nice to see that the majority of my work colleagues had ‘experiences’ outside the narrow confines of the ‘service’.
Having said that, there were some quirks. There was a junior manager that I never met as she was ‘out sick’ for the whole six months and then there was Gerry who came and went as he pleased. Gerry would be a whole column to himself, come to think of it.
There were the stock middle managers who you looked at and thought ‘why or how are you in your job... for life.’
Nobody got fired.
Was I sucked into the lifestyle? Hey, 45-minute coffee breaks have their attractiveness. Flexi-time? Hey, I’m a morning man.
The six months were up. I moved on. There was a possibility of getting a full-time post if hoops were jumped through but then the crash happened and an embargo was imposed on recruiting public service jobs.
I found myself here in Newstalk towers. My 45-minute tea breaks are no more. Working in the private sector has toughened me up. Sadly, I’ve seen colleagues let go as a result of the recession. I’ve had a real pay-cut. My work is only as good as my last piece of work. There are no guarantees.
There are areas where we need public servants. Think Health, for example. There are also areas of the civil service that need a wake-up call.
We’ve heard today that there will be some cash splashed in their direction in the coming few months. They will see it as the first steps in full restoration of what they lost. Would it be so simple?
Whether they like it or not, the tradition of increments mean that they have received a pay rise. It may have been delayed but it is something those of us in the private sector can only dream of. And, they seem to have copper-fastened job security.
I am not public service bashing. There are areas that are chronically under-resourced. I’m just thinking that at a time when resources are beginning the grow, albeit slowly, let’s not throw money around without thinking if it is a good thing and whether we will get value for money.
Or will vote-catching win the day?
