Civil servants fight for jobs
(CNS): With government already facing an operational deficit of almost $76 million from last year and revenue expected to be down again during the 2009/10 financial year, the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association (CICSA) is calling on members to protect their jobs by doing everything they can to cut government expenses in their departments. On the heels of the recent policy directive from the chief secretary that public servants need to reduce costs, James Watler, the president of the CICSA, has warned public servants that jobs could go and salaries could be cut if they don’t play their part.
In a letter to the membership Watler spelled out the dire financial circumstances that the Cayman Islands government currently finds itself in and noted that the only way to avoid potential lay offs, shorter weeks or reduced salaries, government workers have to do all they can to find savings in their departments and to come up with ideas to protect their own jobs.
“In the hopes of avoiding such emergency measures we encourage you to take up the Chief Secretary’s invitation to put forward your own recommendations of where Government can save money, to your departmental heads or directly to the Budget and Management Unit or the Portfolio of the Civil Service,” Watler wrote to members. “If you have an idea you think will help the CICSA Management Council will be happy to work with you to craft it into a proposal and will even submit it on your behalf if you would rather not do so yourselves.”
Watler told CNS that his letter was a call to arms for the Civil Service as well as a call for unity. He said nothing was set in stone with regards to potential job or pay cuts and there was time for the association to prevent the worst from happening.
“These are difficult time and the purpose of the letter is to make sure everyone is aware of the circumstances and understands the need to play their part,” he said. “From what I can see, we are at something of a crossroads with the country’s finances and I want the membership to come to terms with the realities and the fact that they can help set things right again.”
He said that the Civil Service was in this together and it was a matter of doing what they could as public servants for the love of country to turn things around. “It’s a primary role of the CICSA to protect the service, and that means protecting jobs and we intend to do that by finding cost saving measures whereever we can,” Watler added.
He said that the CICSA council had already proposed some ideas, including the redeployment of staff from one department to others, as he said there were some imbalances. Watler explained that with some ministries being over staffed and others very short it made sense to transfer people around and make sure that all ministries, departments and portfolios were neither over nor under staffed, which would ensure more efficiency.
“If we rally round we can overcome these difficulties and we can prevent the worst from happening and protect our jobs,” he said.
In his letter to members Watler pulls no punches and tells the membership: “As it stands the picture is very grim, we will all be affected …..” He writes, “To put it bluntly, Government finds itself spending far more than it is taking in. Simply put we have been informed that the finances of this country are in extremely poor shape as revenue intake has decreased significantly, therefore in light of this Government is forced to look at cutting expenditures and you and I are being asked to cut back in order to curb the mounting deficit.”
He warned that civil servants would be asked to work harder and longer for no extra reward, to take on additional responsibilities and to go the extra mile to help cut costs. He also warned them to take care with their own personal finances in case there were salary cuts.
“We would encourage our members to look at their personal finances at this time in preparation for the possibility that some form of cuts may be made to remuneration packages. I know that this will not be easy as we all have commitments but please bear in mind that these are extraordinary times,” Watler warned.
Noting that these were indeed extraordinary times he reminded members that they had weathered storms in the past and could do so again.
Category: Headline News
The PPM/UDP "debate" on these boards reminds me of the Tramecksan and Slamecksan confrontations in Gulliver’s Travels, albeit the squabbles on this board are more petty and with less substance.
To "This is very serious -"
2. I like this.
4. My spouse has to use her own cell phone because, although she travels (within country), her office will not provide one. Should she bill Government?
5. I suspect this is an overgeneralisation – expat teachers do not get the benefits listed. Are they missing out somewhere? Some of these benefits have been applied to senior Caymanian Civil Servants.
Great ideas but just a side note – statutory authorities DO contribute to health and pension. When you work for an authority you get all of the limitations and none of the perks….unless you are from somewhere else!
Government needs to stop recycling these old heads and giving them ministry post when they have wasted Government funds so long they believed it is a right and a hobby to do so. Why are they continually moved around when they need to be moved out. Save money send them home?
"The PPM has already destroyed our Country. Your just as blind as Kurt. He never seem to see anything or not aware of anything yet BOBO!!! LOL LOL !!."
What do you mean by "BOBO"? Wiki has this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobos_in_Paradise but that would be meaningless. Is this a secret Cayman code?
Why do you "laugh out loud" at the failures of your government (on either party)? Most folks get mad when the government failed them – some even overthrow those governments. Laughing about it makes no sense!
It was bound to catch up, overspending, unregulated departments and lazy managers/admins/employees. Government now has a chance to trim the fat and get to the good meat. Chop!
"The government deficit is the difference between the amount of money the government spends and the amount it has the nerve to collect." – Sam Ewing
Do you know what you do when you don’t have any answers?
You blame someone else. Well Done Mac, you’ve succeeded at that!!!
Stop trying to blame someone else and do something. Cut back on your own ministers driving around in big, gas guzzling, expeditions. Since when did the MLA’s change from what they can do for their country to what their country can do for them? Apparently with the UDP. Stop the blatant wasteful, arrogant attitude and do something about the financial situation.
If you can’t lead, then get out of the way!!!
I say do not CUT the MLAs salaries CHOP them in half. The amount of work they do is not even worth that. As for the Speakers salary 1/4 of that is good. No more police driven P.O. vehicle driving MAC around flying the Cayman Flag as if he was a member of the Royal Family!!
The comments about cutting salaries and lay offs only compound the problem. Civil Servants and the general public hearing this will only hoard their money and this will not help the local economy. Also those that are laid off will probably end up at Social Services looking for help to feed their families and pay their rent. They will not be able to pay to licence their vehicles, pay garbage fees etc. All these things help government to earn much needed revenue!! Then tell me how this helps!!
MB needs to shut his mouth about the PPM leaving the country is such a bad financial mess and then at the same time saying we need to encourage inward investment!!. No one in their right mind would want to invest in the Cayman Islands once they hear these comments!! He paints the picture that the country is about to collapse. This is a GLOBAL problem not just a Cayman problem.
During the elections MB claimed to have all the answers to get this country back on track. What happened to these ideas?
Here’s an idea! Government self-insures all of its employees save for some authorities and Cayman Airways who have been able to keep to go the private sector route. Government is not a bank for everyone to drain when they need it. I say forget about self-insurance, it doesn’t work, it costs the government too much and the civil servants hate it because they have no choice but to use the hospital.
Government could limit its liability, civil servants would be happy, the private sector would be happy because the insurance companies would have more people insured driving the cost down, the insurance companies would be happy and would be competing for everyone of these new insurees.
Of course we will get the old crap about us having to support the old and the indigent. Pass a law that states that any insurance company doing business on island must not exclude or discriminate against the elderly. Government will still have to take care of the indigent but that would be minimal if we didn’t have to service the others. The hospital will become more efficient and professional because it won’t be throwing away money on civil servants that go there everytime they catch a cold and will become a center of excellence making even the private sector folk want to go there.
Worse case scenario government continues to pay for all civil servants but take out a private insurance policy with limits. Civil servants have gotten used to a free ride for too long. We all have to chip in now. It’s time folks! Kurt and Alden already ate your free lunch. There isn’t anything left!
This is a major wake up call for all Caymanians — we had become rather overcome with our success, acting as if we were untouchable financially, becoming drunk with our excesses.
It simply had to happen.
The question is, when we get over this hump — which we will — will we take these lessons with us? Not likely…..
And we are almost all offenders, myself included.
We need to keep before us the example of Warren Buffett — the richest man inthe world — still lives in the same house he did when he got married 50 years ago; still living with the frugality that brought him his wealth.
COST SAVINGS IDEAS
Govt and its authorities need to institute the roll over immediately; that would cut a LOT of the fat.
Three Caymanians can be hired for some of the absurd packages offered to one of the overseas hires….govt car, signing bonus, free flights for the wife, the indiscretions go on and on…
We need to take a hard look at what we are doing and who we are hurting while others work and live high on the hog in this country.
How can a 20% raise be accepted by the MLA’s (many of whom work part time) while a 20% salary cut for the civil service be considered (many of whom work overtime)???
P.S. Lease Boatswains Beach, Pedro St. James and Cayman Airways….
psssst, have we ever thought about building ONE school at a time???
Government also needs to look at the gas depot which is also open to abuse,basically once you have the access cards you are free to fill up the government vehicles as well as your own which is where the abuse comes into play!
Please note you can go there 24/7 to do this!
I think the newly elected government should all take a significant pay cut! And healthcare should not be FREE for government employees. They should have to pay just as the people in the private sector have to pay. Keep heathcare free for school age children and the elderly but let the working government employees pay. Cut the expatriats and keep they Caymanians. They can leave and go elsewhere, we have no where to go but here.
And if the Government is so broke then Mckeeva Bush should pay for his own travel abroad.
Thats all good and well to say when you don’t work for government and make what we make. If I have to pay for healthcare then I’ll have to get a second job….oh say bartending @ Edd’s Place!
Has anyone noticed how there is a Suzuki SUV rented from Andy’s Rental cars with a sticker that says ‘Elections Office’.
I saw this car driving around on Sunday and thought to myself that one, the elections have long gone and two what government business could he be doing on A Sunday and now civil servants are being threatened with losing their jobs?
Seems like the leaders need to do a bit of housekeeping themselves. How about we start with their salaries. A ten percent cut would go a long way and really would not hurt them!
re: The Elections Officerented Suzuki SUV being driven around out of hours.
An investigation of the whole Elections Office set up, including double pay for the boss and others plus people employed year round for a once every four years activity would be interesting.It won’t happen, of course.(see below)
Some civil servants (those who know about it) are also outraged at two new SUVs purchased by the Protocol Office to drive around VIP visitors. Observors of this madness point out we don’t have that many VIPsvisiting anyway so (a) we don’t need such an office and (b) we certainly don’t need these vehicles which the same sources point out are being driven by members of the Protocol Office outside of Government time. Will anything be done about this sort of civil service wastage? No, of course not, because it would impact Caymanians who need the money and the perks from such an office. Mr Donovan Ebanks, Chief Secretary, and Mr James Watler of the civil service union have both written about the financial crisis recently. Mr Ebanks is an amiable, shrewd and highly intelligent man. Mr Watler is, well, amiable. Neither will be be able to break the stranglehold that entrenched "employed for life" Caymanian civil servants hold on the system. Many of them are very fine hard working people who don’t deserve pay cuts etc. There are plenty others, though, who have been shunted into backwaters like the Protocol Office and Education Department to get them into jobs where they can do no harm (at our expense, of course).
BLAME GAME and SCARE TATICS.
Of course the blame game will be played on every Government, but stick a pin, every one enjoys a good meal. So it is either we now decide to cut the steak in half along with the bake potato, or except theconsecuences. I clearly undestand the threat about cutting civil service pay. I do hope we know exactly where we are going to put that knife, because many civil cervants are barely making it and scraping pot bottom. I would not even bother to mention those persons in cayman who dont know where their nex dollar is comming from.
Of course in many government departments you will see three persons doing the job that only need one. if CAYMANIANS, civil cervants salary is cut duringg these times it will sure bring a strain on the families. Those persons who are making a big salary will not miss a thing, because they have already have big business and big bank account to back them up. Some of us need to stop being greedy, craven, red-eye and want everything the jones,es have. Some persons are building a nine bedroom house and dont have any children. Some people just cant get enough, while they do not even have a cat or dog to feed. My oh my.
One thing I know for sure is happening, is that supervisors of most departments are not doing a good job. Sometimes I wonder why they have a job, and of course these I am talking about is definately not Caymanians. I do not have to tell you whose department my comments fall under, you take a guess of them. Roadsides, Hell !!!!! some of these off the main road sides, are ridiculous, bush, bush and more bush. Who is responsible. Saloons and barber shops, Hell. !!!! when last have they been checked. Restrurants, Hell. !!!! who,s checking the kitchen. For pete,s sake these people need their salary cut because they are not going out there. Prisoners should be able to contribute to more in the hands of trusting PO,s. You know what I think about salary cut. It will not be very good. What I say is those in authority need to get off their asses in the aircondition office making long distance and cel calls and see that their employees are doing the job they are paid to do instead of hiding around corners.
There is no government to blame, It is those persons who are getting management pay who dont care a rat what is going on, If they were working harder no one would have to complain. As I have said before if you are not out there with the bad, good and ugly you will never know. Walk good.
This is what happens when you elect and inexperienced government that doesn’t understand how to handle these matters.
You idiots who think this was created by the PPM are clearly in too deep to understand whats going on here.
This is not the first time that the world has faced a recession which has affected Cayman but we have always weathered the storm and no government lay offs or reductions in salaries were necessary.
So two things are happening here. The global recession which Mac claimed he would fix…LOL and secondly he sees this as an opportunity to try to make the PPM look bad and at the same time use it as an excuse to get rid of those civil servants that he believes didn’t support his UDP in the recent election. Do you UDP puppets understand that now or are you going to continue to follow the Dictator blindly into the fire ?
Mac says we have no money so we have to lay off some people or cut salaries and reduce their work week from 5 to 4 days…….and in the same breath he says…by the way I’m on my way to Dubai, China and London to open some Investment Bureau offices…..give me a break !!! Who does this man think he’s fooling other than his blind followers ?
Cayman you better wake up and use that provision in the new Constitution as soon as its implemented to initiate a referendum to remove this UDP government from office before they destroy our beloved country.
So two things are happening here. The global recession which Mac claimed he would fix…LOL and secondly he sees this as an opportunity to try to make the PPM look bad and at the same time use it as an excuse to get rid of those civil servants that he believes didn’t support his UDP in the recent election. Do you UDP puppets understand that now or are you going to continue to follow the Dictator blindly into the fire ?
I so agree!!!!!!!! amen and amen and amen! I guess all we can truly say is: da wha we get.
Let’s cut all salaries by 20%. This would result in all those on Government contracts leaving the country, saving us not 20% but 100%. Then we could reinstate the original salaries to all those left and still save a fortune.
Mind you, we’d have no nurses, doctors, teachers or policemen, only firemen!
I was going to suggest reducing garbage collections to once per week, but where I live that seems to the norm now anyway.
Combine Cayman Brac primary schools into one.
Cut out foreign consultants and use local expertise.
Teleconference more, travel less.
Mac told Kurt to stop wasting money. Kurt said that he would not live in fear. Now the country is broke.
Alden in his arogance said only divine intervention could stop him from spending what he wanted. Divine intervention by way of $74M in debt is precisely what Alden got for us.
The entire PPM should be ashamed.
I am getting a rug made with the PPM member faces on it for my taxi, and will certainly be telling my few cruise passengers to brush their feet when entering and leaving.
"I am getting a rug made with the PPM members faces on it for my taxi, and will certainly be telling my few cruise passengers to brush their feet when entering and leaving"
My people, is this how we treat one another now?! You should be ashamed of yourself. I understand that you are frustrated right now, but the PPM nor the UDP, nor any that came before them got into politics with the intent of destroying the country; they did it to help their people. In so doing, they have all done things that were needed, and that made us proud, and they have all failed by doing things that were to our detriment or by failing to act when it was cruicial. In other words, none of them were perfect. However this insulting way of publicly speaking of our leaders, past or present is uncalled for, uncouthand unhelpful. Further, you have no understanding of the simple truth that when we speak so poorly of each other, we are merely inviting our expat brothers and sisters to do the same. You may not respect the individuals in that particular party, but have respect for the office which they hold/held and the fact that your people voted them into office. We cannot build up our children if we cannot set a good example for them to follow.
IN REPLY TO :Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/29/2009 – 12:55
The PPM has already destroyed our Country. Your just as blind as Kurt. He never seem to see anything or not aware of anything yet BOBO!!! LOL LOL !!.
On a serious note, it really doesn’t matter if you voted UDP or PPM the country affairs is in jeopardy regardless if we want to believe it or not. The party politics has to stop and some real issues needs to be dealt with. If we are suppose to move forward for a better Cayman we need to work TOGETHER, this means UDP, PPM, Independent, Caymanian, Jamaican, Fillipino, Cuban, Honduranian, etc etc. Unity is strength.
We would really like to see this Country move forward. Some people may not like him, but in all honesty Mckeeva Bush is the only person i see right now who is capable of moving this Country forward, so please just put all differences aside and work with him to make solutions, instead of just making scandal.
We only have one life to live and if we waste time hating and arguing over things that can be changed we will lose track of time.
It was quite shocking to hear recently that Ministers and MLAs had received, if I recall correctly, in some cases up to 20% increases in pay over the past four years. I read that MLAs have offered to take a 10% reduction. I suggest 15%. Ten percent would be bringing salaries back to where it would have rightfully been, it seems to me, with the 5% being the sacrifice that the CS called for.
I am also concerned about the astonishingly high salaries at the helm of the Civil Service. I think that salaries at the top levels, starting with the Governor, should be shaved substantially.
I suggest, however, that we leave alone the secretarial and clerical levels. They are already struggling — let’s not add to their troubles.
However, speaking as one who has previously served in the civil service, I am sure we could save a heck of a lot by just curbing waste — some strategies already having been mentioned by the CS. And that includes wasting of time. Unfortunately, we do have some deadwood (though not as much as the public thinks) that the civil service needs to address one way or the other.
And civil servants might want to get back to the days of giving extra time, where necessary, without looking for overtime pay. We have evolved from a tradition of sacrifice for the country, but now everyone wants to be paid for every extra hour (never mind the wasted two hours for the one hour extra which is now being billed).
I hope as well that this dratted Tempura/Cealt — that has yielded nothing but the horrible spectacle it has made of the Islands and some undeserving, innocent people — will be abandoned wherever possible. Alas, some of it is now a runaway train and we may have to see if through — but, for God’s sake, let us try to wind this thing down.
Are they crazy????? This coming in the wake of providing the public with the salaries of the politicians is not a good move! Good gracious do you want an uprising? The people are finding it hard to keep up with the cost of living as is! What the hell are they thinking? What did we put them in power for? To help the people of the Cayman Islands. You ever hear of "greediness choke puppy"?
Pray, people, Pray!!!!!
GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!
This all happened under the PPM’s watch therefore they are to blame; thats just how it works, although the civil service had a part to play and the FS was caught asleep, they were at the helm when the ship was sinking.
I suggest a Government-wide spelling bee. Base saleries on spelling ability.
As an added cost saving measure, anyone who spells "Losing" as "Loosing" should "loose" their job entirely.
To "I suggest a Government-wide"
And I suggest anyone who spells ‘salaries" as "saleries" needs to take the beam out of his/her eye first before worrying about the motes in other people’s eyes!!!
And anyone who spells "salaries" as "saleries" should lose theirs.
So “R. Stripe” what would your salAry be? First time I saw salaries spelt like that.
Totally agree with a previous poster on helping to cut costs when it comes to the use of Government vehicles. For the past few weeks I have noticed a small Government SUV and the way it is being utilized by a certain civil servant. This vehicle is on the road 24/7 and I can’t recall seeing this officer in their private vehicle on the road now for months. Furthermore, this SUV can be seen in the early hours of the mornings parked off in areas that I know are not work related. It’s cases like this that the relevant Government departments and their Chief Financial Officers should be looking into when it comes to spending. As far as I’m concerned, if a civil servant is granted the use of a Government vehicle during work hours, he/she should be ordered to return that vehicle to the office compound and use his/her vehicle if they want to park off at 3 or 4 in the morning to carry out unnecessary surveillance of all of us service workers who are simply trying to make a living and feed our families by cleaning up the bars/restaurants that this same civil servant was drinking/eating at earlier in the said Government vehicle!
Well Well Well…Where do we start… Civil Service lets try to cut a little more fat and for god sakes stop driving those vehicles all over the place after 5pm (it just looks bad)…Now, in the famous words of JFK I ask the banks and attorneys plus surveyors this "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country!" With this said, the Banks "Retail" in this country have to step up to the plate for they have a great deal at risk as well..You see If government lays off and cuts salary then some will not be able to pay mortgages additionally, alot more will not be able to afford their rents and hence, the landlord will not be able to pay its mortgages. You have the mortgages on books so you hold the potential losses. So, I propose that the Banks and Government enter into talks to reduce interest charged to civil service employees on existing loans before any pay cuts are made. Moreover, the law firms need to be brought to the table (land conveyance section) to offer deep discounts to civil servants so that they can move their mortgage to participating banks. To our lawmakers…avoid the lobster dinners and the hob nobbing with your private sector friends to our determine…I know it cost you money to win an election but this time around it is different much different..Its not about greed anymore but it will be about staying afloat…If you think it is the same old same old you are very wrong….Think about this..what was Cayman like during the last recession? 1980-1981 Caymanian were just coming back from sea you had no major industry and drug money was washing up on our shores plus side investments from Jamaicans fleeing Jamaica. Now lets look at today.. I know of your own people getting ready to go (fleeing the crime and poverty for england) and it is just about to get worse.. As my grandfather would say watch the boom when the boat comes about! Oh by the way the US is not recovering this year or next it is simply that the US Gov is pumping cash and private sector needs to pick up the slack 30-40% chance of a double dip recession in US economy in next 2 years..The US is trying to borrow it way to prosperity and its not working and never does… Anyways the point is don’t tell people to get finances in order look for ways to help them or you are just making the situation worse because now people are not going to want to spend anything..well..I don’t know about thatlast statement as far as young Caymanians are concerned…Oh yes, another legislators need to look at is statue of limitations on financial records and fair credit access laws so that when/if we get out of this depression the people who got burned (Caymanians) can get a house again and then Mr. Bush you won’t need more ex-pats to drvive real estate (i.e. your business forward) and you can have a better way forward without the great deal of social unrest. I hate telling people how to act in a prudent manner but gosh its almost common sense with a twist of wisdom. Where there is smoke there is fire ! can you smell the smoke? Can you see the smoke? Can you hear the smoke? Can you taste the smoke? Can sense the Fire?allright … and I am trying to stay positive
Anyone who thinks this is the PPM’s fault just not able to think sensibly…..the World is in a financial crisis, jobs are being lost everywhere….spending by Governments the World over continues……and yes, while it continued in the Cayman Islands the UDP reps were right there with the PPM. Only now they want to pretend this is the PPM’s fault….give me a break! When the PPM Government mandatated that the Civil Service find ways to cut costs in order to avoid layoffs what did the Civil Service do? Come up with a fantastic plan and never made an effort to implement it….so now they get the bully Mac to deal with them and he going straight to layoffs! Well, many of unna wanted him so now unna got him….deal with it.
The PPM knew the world was in a crisis and Kurt told Mac he would not reduce spending on the "best of mornings".
Kurt, Alden and crew ought to have their faces engraved on a wall of shame for what they have done to caymanians and cayman.
Now we have a country that is $74M broke, government staff have to wait for a bank to loan government money to pay for their salaries – what a shame.
And the PPM had the nerve to call this "progress" progress my *ss
I hope they start with the reduction in salaries of the Ministers and the like. Civil servants, like everyone else, are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and their families fed. Twenty percent of the Chief Secretary’s salary would not be missed by him and many of his colleagues, but twenty percent would make a significant in the lives of persons already underpaid.
While I understand the situation we now find ourselves in, this Government needs to lead by example. I just hope they give themselves a salary cut first before cutting the salaries of the hardworking civil servants. There has got to be a better way!!!!
As someone said below; turn up the airconditioning to a more comfortable temperature, that would save on the electric bill.
There is certainly a lot of dead weight sitting around the Goverment offices chewing on their oxtail bones but I highly doubt that the UDP and their advisors are willing to take these steps which would turn us in to more of a welfare state than we already are. Food stamps and prison cells cost money too.
Still available for consulting services at a reasonable price…
Start with turning the air conditioners warmer. It seems every government building I go in to is so cold!!! Everyone is wearing long sleeves or a sweater. It is such a shock to walk out the door. Like going from a deep freeze in to a oven. This cannot be health. What about temperature control so the temperature changes at night and weekend. I see some of the building with the windows fogged up from being so cold. I know how high my power bill is with the temperature set at 78 I hate to think what the government is paying . I will not even start on all the government cars and trucks I see with family members riding or even hauling items after working hours. Not to mention the cost of gas but what if someone got hurt?? Where does the government fit in to the responsibilty of such an injury??? There are many ways to tighten the belt on this maybe the government needs to do as the rest of us have been doing for the last year. Do not buy it or spent it if you do not have the money to pay for it!!! The piggy bank is empty.
The government recently voted to waste another $1.5 million on SPIT and its clone. CICSA should insist that this should be cancelled or put on hold until the next time Cayman has money to waste. Nothing positive has been achieved by the waste of $6 million so far on this farce so why are we wasting more?
Government needs to get rid of all these lazy ,inefficient, inept steady at helm "captains" it keeps bring back from the prehistoric era people who always return to their "experienced"constipated ways in blocking the smooth running of government and demoralising and destroying younger and smarter Caymanians
Save money leave the retired to retire and remember why they were let go in the first place. The New Saving Money Initative for Government Please implement program immediately! millons will be saved literally in time and money. How much ya bet they put this one on the back burner for a long time.
Finally please remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have?
This letter by Mr. Watler was ill conceived and only served to add additional anxiety, fear and stress to an already bad situation.
His letter added no value to what what was contained in the Chief Secretary’s letter and should not have been allowed to be mass circulated without some type of vetting process.
If he recalls, he was the one that ran to the press making statements such as "we told them to go flly a kite" when Government started discussion about ways of reducing the costs of health insurance for Civil Servants.
This areas costs 10s of millions of dollars annually, perhaps if he had not derailed that process, people would have adjusted by now to a contributory scheme, the Government would have saved a few millions and jobs for his membership would not be at risk.
If you want to help the situation, call a meeting with the membership, propose some measures (such as no acting allowance, duty allowance, overtime etc.) take a vote on it, then go back to the Government and say, this is what the Civil service is proposing that we do in order to help in this situation.
What you don’t do is send out some hastily put together scare memo which have people now all talking about loosing their jobs or having their pay cut rather than actually coming up with ideas.
Apparently you have so much to say but have to say it all anonymously. Perhaps you should come out of the closet and let the public know your name since its obvious you only can criticize Mr. Watler.
He merely was letting you and the public aware of the truth which is something people such as yourself would rather run from than face! Be happy that he is letting you know what COULD happen! It is not certain that is WILL happen.
I think we should start cutting costs by eliminating the dead weight that put us in this situation to begin with and that would be KURT TIBBETTS, ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN and ANTHONY EDENto for starters. They should go bury themselves in shame and never run for politics again. All 3 of you should remove yourselves from politics before we vote you out. Still misled about anything Kurt?
I beg your pardon?! Civil Servants have had to live with salary and cost of living embargos for the past 8 years – for the most part that I remember. I am a little surprised that the Civil Servant Assn. (which i suspect are made up of Civil Servants) are not fighting the government on this issue. there cant be no greater issue than this?! Not even a statement that challenges govt andMr. Bush to curtail some of his grandoise capital projects!!?? There have been no increments for good performances as I understand it. Yes there are excesses, as it is all over, but our hard working civil servants excell and have been the backbone in this country through all the tireless and often thankless services they provide. From the garabe truck drivers to our hospitals, teachers, front office clerks our quasi-para-military Police srvices the Immigration and Customs officers, dentists, Economic and business development officers to our planning environmental officers our payroll clerks -I could go on. This country has a hard working civil service.
Civil servants should not be made the scapegoat for faulty greedy and misguided politicians!! This government, which I generally support , promised to increase jobs not cut them!! Dont tell me the previous govt left it in a mess. Most of you all were there too or that the global position is down. You wanted the job, so now live up to your word. And FIX it!! I am angry that you promised to create jobs now you got hard working public servants worried about their jobs. I am fed up fed up fed up!!
We are counting on you and the government. The public servants of this country has rent, mortgage and bills to pay. I strongly believe any job loses by caymanians would have a negative effect on the country’s growth and expansion rate. In fact it may serve to further worsen the problem. Which economist are you listening to?!! I dont believe its any within government. i wondering who whispering in the ears of this leadership?!!
Further, my immediate question would be: who will decide who goes and who stays?!! Honestly, I cannot help but to wonder, how much does/would politics and political victimization would play out in this. I am sorry but there are always other sides to a story
Finally, i dare say ANY and I mean ANY civil servants that loose their jobs should be expat civil servants period. I understand they make up about 100 – 200 in core government and upwards to 800 in the outlaying authories. Set an example to the private sector about priority when it comes to keeping and creating jobs!! Also, if there are salary cuts for the srevice it should be structured so that people earning over CI75,000.00 per annum would get a larger percentage rate (say 5 – 7%) persons earning 50 -75K about 2-3% and persons earning less than 50K 1 – 2%.
Civil servants keep your heads up. Try help find some savings but fight fight fight fight for your jobs. This country is doing you guys wrong!! There are some countries that would die or tread for the honest uncorrupt servants that you all are. Mr. Donnny if mr. Bush cant live up to his word you be a statemen in government and make sure not one caymanian public servant get any walking papers. We wills ing your praises. Be this country’s Churchill on behalf of Public Servants. God bless all of you as we pray for one another.
Thank you to all civil servants from every unit, section, ministry, department and the likes
The Govt. needs to go Paper-Less,
Can someone with information regarding Government expenditure on paper products have a look at how much can be saved?
I do believe several large Law Firms on island have achieved this, or, are well on their way. Perhaps they can come forward and assist the Government, as this would undoubtedly be, a tremendous undertaking.
We all have to band together now, to bring Cayman back to those ‘once upon a time’, beautiful little islands we all love so much.
Also, not only the Govt., but every company on island should be looking at ways to streamline thier budgets at this time, so that they too, can enjoy a bigger bottom line.
All together now…
– Jedi Dread –
6 tips for a ‘paperless’ office
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/technology/communications/6-tips-for-a-paperless-office.aspx#tipsforapaperlessoffice
Thank you PPM!
This is what the mismanagement of the PPM has caused.
I suppose the PPM will understand now why everyone with sense in the country was saying don’t waste $1.5 Billion dollars.
PPM has destroyed the Cayman Islands. Kurt Tibbetts, Alden McLaughlin & Crew have done to Cayman in 4 years what others couldn’t do in 500 years.
For those of us with short memory, the good old days are not that far behind us.
Ever since we started electing politicians of the present caliber to run our affairs we have been asking for trouble.
Think back to the days when Truman Bodden, Benson Ebanks and Vassel Johnson ran the affairs of this country. They were educated people with a good business background who new what fiscal responsibility was.
Look at what we have today compared to back then and we can see clearly where our problem lies.
Our present day Politician is in for self gain and could not care less what they leave behind for our children and grandchildren to pay for.
Its time to encourage educated, fiscally responsible people back into our Political system and dump this bunch that we presently entrust our livelihood to.
The PPM?! I suggest we start with the chauffeur driven Leader and the AG and his armed guards who travel with him overseas at our expense…But…The UDP way is to take care of themselves and let the poor Civil Servants and their families suffer…
My suggestion for the Civil Service Association is that they submit a Freedom of Information request to identify each of the grace and favour "consulting" contracts that have been issued by each Ministry and Portfolio since 20 May, and in particular those that duplicate jobs that are being or could be done by civil servants. These no doubt will account for hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars which ought to have been saved and hopefully can be recouped. If not perhaps the patronage canat least be controlled.
Yes it was badly written for a start. Talk about scare tactics. Does the man not have someone to proof read his work????
Lord help us civil servants.
"Yes itwas badly written"….
What was? Mr Watler’s letter or the Chief Secretary’s?