Rodrigues to wield CS axe
(CNS): The chief officer from the education and employment ministry will be heading up a new civil service unit which will be responsible for cutting the civil service. Mary Rodrigues will head the unit charged with overseeing the implementation of the Ernst and Young report on the rationalisation of the public service. Recently embroiled in a ministry scandal over the altering of an education report, the CS boss is likely to face even more controversy in her new job. Officials said the new post will include overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the Cabinet-approved recommendations from the EY report, briefing Cabinet on the outcomes and overseeing communications with all stakeholders.
Rodrigues will be the senior staff member in a team that will include an additional three to four existing civil servants seconded from other agencies. Rodrigues will be expected to develop the policies and procedures that will guide the work of the unit, which officials have said they expect will take some years to implement.
Government has still not released any details regarding the EY findings and recommendations to help downsize the civil service but the premier and deputy governor have both spoken about consolidation or merging of departments, part privatization and complete sell-offs but so far no public authorities have been identified as the first to undergo what may prove to be radical change in the civil service and government.
As the person now designated as the leader of the forthcoming changes, Rodrigues will be tasked with revealing where and when the changes will begin. As she is understood to be taking up the post immediately, the current deputy chief officer in the ministry of education, Christen Suckoo, will assume the role of acting chief officer.
Announcing the appointment on Wednesday morning in a release, the deputy governor highlighted the importance of the new job.
“The rationalisation project is perhaps one of the most important projects undertaken by the Civil Service in the last decade and extremely important to the future direction of the civil service,” Franz Manderson stated. “For it to succeed there needs to be strong leadership and expertise. Given this, I am most pleased to have a civil servant of Ms Rodrigues’s calibre and background leading the implementation team.”
Manderson also said Rodrigues had made significant contributions to the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs over the five years she held the post. He said during her tenure there has been a remarkable improvement in external exam results for high school students. He also pointed to the restructuring of secondary education which was undertaken during her watch, when the Year 12 programme at CIFEC was introduced. New graduation criteria have also been developed and implemented, including academic requirements for the first time.
The deputy governor also spoke about strategies to tackle under-performance in literacy and numeracy having been introduced and the first National Professional Standards for Teachers and for Principals while she was the ministry boss. In addition, Rodrigues oversaw the re-introduction of Reception in government schools, along with the first National Curriculum Framework for Early Years. Rodrigues was at the helm when the ministry established the National Work Force Development Agency and the Passport to Success Programme. She was also credited with playing a key role in the establishment of the Civil Service College.
Rodrigues joined the Civil Service in 1986 and taught for 10 years before moving to the then- Schools Inspectorate, where she became chief inspector within four years. She held this position until 2004, when she joined the Ministry of Education as deputy permanent secretary. Two years later she was named chief officer designate in the Portfolio of the Civil Service—succeeding to the role of chief officer in 2008. She became chief officer in the Ministry of Education in 2009.
Category: Politics
Hold your head high, Mrs R. You were a great teacher and you have delivered in every job you have had. You were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you got by on hard work and brains and proving yourself. Just like lots of Brackers. Ignore the haters. I would like to see them try to fill your shoes. I wonder what achievements they could point to? What could they say they have every done to make a difference? It is easy to criticise. Good luck to Mr Suckoo, you have some huge shoes to fill!
This appointment gives me hope! Finally someone who has a track record of actual achievements.
This for sure is an intelligent woman, with an amazing work ethic. Talk to her staff about the way she cares and supports them. That's a true test of a leader.
This job willbe challenging, but if anyone can do it she can. Let's see how brave Cabinet will be in making decisions. I hope they are not thinking that they will be able to hide behind Mrs Rodrigues or try to set her up. Civil servants implement policy-they don't decide policy.
Mary, I know that you are up to the task and will do what is right, not what is popular
Mrs Rodrigues is ethical, inteligent and professional, more than can be said of those who irresponsibly manufactured a 'scandal' out of ignorance and vitrol. If I were Mrs Rodrigues I'd tackle Kim IL Jong and others who don't know the full facts (and who believe anything they read without quesion), for slander and damage to reputaton. Stop the destructive culture of sniping, gossiping and intrigue, GROW UP!
A department that doctors an "independent" report to protect friends and then covering up the cover up? Ethical?
Since you know so much of the truth, tell what really happened. Or is there a reason why you cant tell us what really happened.
Mr. Manderson
Please tell us how a Chief Officer immersed in a scandal like changing a education ministry report and then misrepresenting the facts behind it suddenly merits a promotion to a new department? The time for smoke and mirrors is over. Downsizing the civil service cannot be lead by an insider or friend. If this is the path we are taking it is clear that the old boys club and its members with their protectionist attitudes within the halls of GOAB are the largest part of the problems.
Thats how the CIG deals with people so they do not have to fire them, just move them to a new department or promote them.
The way to get certain jobs is to be in the now called "inner circle". That's how. If you kiss up enough being yes men and women will get anything with this crew. Just don't rock the boat.
What goes around comes around
Seriously? With all the controversy on her watch in her Ministry which points to potential dishonesty and incompetence they put her in charge? Smt!!!
We need an overhaul from top to bottom, there are a lot of dedicated competent hard working civil servants and by no means should we throw out the baby with the bath water. Mary is not the person to achieve this she is part of the bath water that should be thrown out to effect real change – sorry.
Not an easy Job if she plans to stay in cayman, I hope she is ready to move to Miami.
that said . It should not be too hard to find those to get rid of but i do hope they collect retirement benifits because most of those that will be cut are unemployable
Hmmmm. Trying to understand this, creating a new unit ( dept), doesn’t this mean hiring people for this unit to terminate others in other depts. Very smart….
Franz not sure what you are doing here but I thought every civil service dept had an HR dept, surely you could have them fire the staff then you could fire them after, way cheaper way I would think…
Maybe Franz realises its all those HR personnel that need to be cut so they can't be involved in the unit.
Come think a little. The reasons why recommendations were never implemented before because they were given to staff as an add on to their current roles without no oversight. And what happened – nothing! This move is a breath of fresh air and good thinking. Oh has anyone checked to see how many Governments have implementation units?? The UK civil service has one. Why is everyone such a closet thinker. Come folks think for at least a few minutes and perhaps do a bit of research before you post. All of a sudden you would look or at least appear to be smart for a few minutes.
May I suggest that she starts with all those departments and authorities that are not being profitable? Except Cayman Airways please! We will ALWAYS need our own airline no matter what! Just get rid of the useless non-performers.
Mrs. Rodrigues has had a difficult job but she is smart and knowledgeable on education matters.
I am worried about the void her departure will create.
however, education needs some radical changes to meet the needs for all our students — not just the higher performing students. I am not sure if I understand correctly what the minister is proposing, but these "academies" that are suggested sound like she is aiming at the higher performing students.
while that may be good for them, what is being proposed for the middle and especially the lower academic levels?
i suspect the reason we are having many of the behavioral problems is that the needs of a large segment of students are just not being met — they are just not being properly engaged in schools.
we have to be concerned about these students in policy of inclusion — which is what the comprehensive school system was trying to do. Unfortunately, it just did not do enough to meet the diversity of needs in terms of preparation for meaningful careers.
cant we put heads together and come up with so etching that really works for us in cayman! instead of constantly going to England and hopping on the latest bad wagon? Why not survey what is going on in various countries on a wider scale and see what we can learn and then create something of our own that can work on our environment?
have we not learned that we Simply cannot pick up these "brainwaves" and apply them here without thinking them through?
Previous chief officers have done that and look where it has got us.
The Educational System does not need revamping, IT IS THE PARENTING THAT DOES.
I'm laughing my head off! At least our youngsters will be well ahead of the game! But putting a life long CS to pare down the CS is really playing a sick joke on all us tax payers. Still, it should be a soft, quick and easy job – just rewrite the report and then no reductions will be needed!
What is the odds on nothing happening before the next election?
ASTRONOMICAL!!
I don't know about nothing happening, I can guarantee that they will commission a report on the reports they have, so they can report that they don't know what the previuous reports say or how they are to implement the reports findings, in a report
Thank you DG- a brilliant move. For the last 20 years CIG has had a poor track record of implementing the recommendations of so many reports. Now for the first time we have a real opportunity for the recommendations of the E and Y report being implemented. Why? Because we finally have someone focused on implementation that has NEVER happened before. The DG is using existing civil servants so they will be no increased staff.
DG and Ms Rodriques please do not be deterred by the negative posters who shoot down everything. Some of us actually think straight and is willing to give your fresh approach a chance to succeed before shooting it down.
If you do some research you will find that Peter Gough who can from 1990/1 under the current Deputy Gov's mother Jenny Manderson who then headed up CIG Personnel to reduce the size and increase the efficiency of CIG was paid over 25 yrs to do just that. History presents that neither mother nor son could get the HR issues in CIG sorted. As many reports have been produced and no work done on making CIG greater value for money. It is understood Gough still collects a sizable salary as a special assistant to the DG to do just that. This is only more incompetency at the top, and a PR move to cover the issues.
Nothing will happen except most likely a move to provide jobs for a few more expats sent from London who will like Gough never leave CS and continue to take advantage of the ignorance of our Caymanians at the top ! Peter Gough has been a management services officer, then promoted to Director Management Services and Director of Budget & Management, then Assist FS (Budget) then Dep CO Civil Service etc etc all in the name of making CIG better value for money.
So you are correct it's a brilliant move for Peter Gough to continue to collect a CIG pay check under yet another new title and poor Mary just be used as a prop out front to fool us stupid Caymanians. Do an FOI and ask the right questions and you will be amazed how this same unit has been redressed, repositioned, reinvented and reused for over 25 years and has achieved nothing ! all under the theme of increasing efficieny in CIG.
If you want to think straight do the research and speak form a more informed position, only then will the CS have any opportunity to right itself and improve its services and reduce its unacceptable cost to the Caymanian people.
What an unpleasantly personal (and inaccurate post),almost as bad as the equally ignorant and unfair ones about Mrs Rodrigues. Some moderation of CNS "commentators" is required.
….."us stupid Caymanians". Your words, bobo, not mine.
Since you grabbed a hold of that it is obviously what you were thinking.
The person posting this comment is obviously a COWARD as they have failed to own up to this so called "research". They have only pointed there little finger at an individual such as "Gough". What they have failed to mention in this, "research" is that there are many others within the roles of CIG / CS who have collected and even bigger paycheck that "Gough".
To point the finger at "Gough" who was an expat before he received status. He was promoted through all the job titles that were listed above and for an expat at the time, to be promoted within Governement was not a "PR stunt to cover things up". It shows us that an individual such has "Gough" has made the CIG better through his knowledge and policies.
Congratulations Mrs. Rodrigues for undertaking this unenviable, mammoth, but necessary task. While I agree with the Deputy Govenor that the Rationalization of the Civil Service is an important project, he forgot to mention that it will be very difficult to accomplish. While the Deputy Governor has proven, thus far, to be an accomplish and dependable senior officer of Government, I am not so sure that the elected members of Government will lend the level of support necessary to ensure the successful outcome of this project, considering that a large portion of their votes come from Civil Servants (their families and friends) many of whom may be made redundant as a result of this excercise.
I trust, therefore, that the success or failure of this project will be shared with the Office of the Governor and the political directorate of Government, and that any failure will not be placed squarely on the shoulders of Mrs. Rodrigues. Further, that Mrs. Rodrigues future in the Civil Service will not depend solely upon the successful rationalization of the Civil Service, but will be protected if this project fails, which I predict it will, due mainly to the lack of support it will receive from the elected members Government.
I think you've made a valid point that Franz is trying to do the right thing rather than previous administrators who've burried their heads in the sand on this very thorny subject. What is unfortunate is perhaps the choice of Ms Rodriquez who I hear is very bright – but it's impossible to overlook what happened with the last report that fell into her hands. No one who read the results of Ms Rodriquez's efforts to explain the alterations to a report also commissioned from experts, could have felt confident in her or the actions that flowed from that compromised report. This appointment at this particular time, so soon after the controversy of the last commissioned report, is a mystery.
Wouldn't it have been better to choose someone that actually headed a successful ministry? Wait… Ok. Guess that wouldn't work either.
This is a good move. She will be able to take the EY report and doctor err sorry no, alter, oh no not what I mean, I mean get someone else to err well sort of enhance it, well you know what I mean. After all EY, might have put things in it, that are not nice and make government look bad
04:46.Some of you are real brave while you are posting as Anonymous
And crazhi is your real name?
13:57, you are even braver than Anonymous, by making up a name.
Mary Roderiques is easily one of the most impressive persons I have ever met in my 56 years. And I have been around. If anyone can do this job, she can. She is charming and disarming, but don't be fooled. This beauty has a brain like a steel trap.
Rick
Folks, it could have been worse, at least she'll be doing something in exchange for that huge salary (for a while, at least) instead of sitting at home like the other three. Well done, Franz.
I sure hope they start with : chief officers dept heads management senior personnel that are always out of office in govt vehicles at Rbc cnb credit union hurleys foster kirk's, playing golf, tennis, never can answer questions, never return calls lack of professionalism. XXX I've seen junior staff run circles around some of these people. Why are they even still in the positions that their in.
Well, we can all live in hope, I suppose. (I used to but once I'd given up all hope I started to feel a lot better.)
Do you need any suggestions?
Great idea… lets start a Forum topic, or even a FB page for suggestions on who to trim – with reasons of course! If nothing else it would be great reading!
The effect of all this on the motivation of the civil servants will be of the scale.
The end result will be an increase in fees, payable to private companies who will reduce the quality of service.
The only winners are a few local businessmen who control the policticians.
We the people will pay for their wealth.
Don't really see the quality of service going down…..
Privatization would produce lower costs and better service. So the only loser will be overpaid underworked civil servants.
You forgot to mention the politicians that'll get the boot if any civil servants are thrown out of the CS to the tender mercies of business community.. There will be no privatisation. It's a fantasy. Incidentally, history has demonstrated that privatization does NOT ensure lower costs and better service, which is why some countries are reversing the process due to increased costs to the public and shoddy, penny-pinching service, all to increase profit margins (and astronomic salaries and bonuses). Nice idea, it just doesn't necessarily work it has been discovered.
with the current level of motivation and quality of service, most people would not notice a drop. I mean if it currently takes 20 minutes for one to pick up a ringing phone.
I haven't seen the education outcomes in practical terms that have really made a difference. We are still cycling below standard students for the most part through UCCI (which, by the way, does fall under the ministry's ultimate purview — as another case in point).
As for the exam results, they are, as far as I can discern, suspect: a significant portion of exams are marked locally — and those marking standards are …?
I agree with the Minister's sentiments as reported recently that some radical changes are necessary for education.
perhaps this is the beginning — hope lives eternal ….
The private sector depends on the whole Civil Service to perform their duties and uphold the law. Just like it depends on the RCIP police for business security. So I must ask them – just where do these unemployed folk go??? We have enough crime being committed already because of people without jobs. We have social services stretched to its max with entitlement handed-outs for thousands being paid by tax-payers monies. More people without jobs means more funding needed for social services or else an increase in crime and the private sector suffers. There must be some provisions that will be made for the massive lay-offs.
While I don't believe anything will come of it, you are correct as regards increased fees (look at the "second mortgages" we are currently compelled to pay to greedy insurance companies) and reduced services. It'll all be about profit (and big salaries and bonuses and dividend payouts). One would have to be completely naive to conclude otherwise.
Wouldn't it have been better to choose someone with any private sector experience whatsoever?
Why? This is about the public sector and the private sector input has come from Ernst & Young.
If you have to ask, you must be a civil servant!
Not at all. I am not now and have never been a civil servant but I do have some understanding of the workings of govt. which apparently you don't.
How about because a professional manager from the private sector would be there to do a job rather than to collect a paycheck and spare their own for as long as possible.
This will be the ultimate foot-dragging exercise. Drag it out till there's a change in government and hope they change course. (Repeat if necessary.)
I would be delighted to be proved wrong, but there is not an ice cube's chance in hell of that happening sadly.
Seriously….she is wielding it….guess she is not on the list then. Here we go…
That will work! Cutting the civil service by creating another lair of bureauracy!
She is a pretty woman and a wise woman too. Good move
Yes, being pretty is more important than being qualified.
01:57.Did you stop to think before you punched those keys to type?
14.06, did you? Oh please Lord, you did not take it literally did you? You did, didn't you?
She is a wisewoman and I agree it is a good move.
I am sorry but I have no earthly idea what her looks have to do with this conversation. Looks have no bearing on the qualifications needed to fulfill the task at hand.
Very unimpressive insider selection.
I agree. Lets hire an expat to do it!!!!! LOL
Some of you have no faith in your fellow Caymanians. Will you ever be happy?
Did you really think that a "fellow Caymanian" wrote that?
They moved her quickly because of all the mess she has created with our Education system, XXXX. Moving her means not having to answer to he public regarding the report which was amended (leaving all the dirt, which would only have made the ministry look bad, under he rug.)
WAKE-UP CAYMAN
In Britain, officials say in these media releases that they are going to spend more time with their family (ie they are fired). In Cayman when officials mess up they are just moved to another job amid huge fanfare about how great they were and how everyone is looking forward to working with them in their new position. Good luck Mr Manderson. Watch your back.
… Or shuffle them off somewhere and give them their wages and a company credit card.
Nothing meaningful will come of this. Immense amounts of time, effort & taxpayer money will be expended & incurred in meetings, consultatons and report production but it will mostly be lip-service.
Governments & civil services are incapable of making the hard & often very painful decisions that private companies have to make to remain in business when market conditions have made them less or non-profitable.
If you really want to cut the Civil Service down to the minimum size actually required to supply the services considered necessary (and that is a whole subject in itself) then the only person who capable of doing that would be a top management specialist from the private sector with a mandate to apply private sector principles to the task. It will never happen.
Hear hear. This is the very opposite of the fox guarding the henhouse. A hen guarding the henhouse.
Start a new department to downsize the Civil Service.
LMAOOOOOO CI govt. YOU ROCK!
What a moron. It's shifting people from one department to a temporary task force. It has not resulted in any additional hires.
This is what i call recycling, or better yet, buying a new boat and putting in the same old engines that failed you year after year.
Franz praises her to the skies for all her achievements and then gives her possibly the most poisoned chalice anyone could be asked to drink, namely the getting rid of Caymanian civil servants. It has never been done before and my bet is it will not be done now. Every one laid off is at least three votes, in some cases more. Won't happen.
Thats the way – get someone else to do the dirty work for you.
Happy its going to be done though, its long ovedue.
Lets start trimming from the top end, not the bottom!
It would have been comforting to hear results of the 'scandal' being addressed, especially as it involved reporting all details of a report accurately and unbiased. With all due respect to her years as a civil servant, I do hope it's not going to be perceived as if she may be under pressure to be the scapegoat for others and will in fact ensure all future reports, regardless of consequences will be presented and enforced.
May the lord have mercy on the poor civil servants
May the Lord have mercy on the poor people that have to deal with the civil service.
Especially the Planning department. I hear they take up to 6 months toapprove a simple house.
How unprofessional is that! these guys need some fire under their butts.
…and their government credit cards.
So, in the midst of all his verbage and praises regardng Mrs. Rodriges (some of it well deserved mind you), I wonder why Franz didn't tell us who she is being replaced by in the ministry? We will see how much downsizing happens since he is also throwing words at that 'project' as well. There is a huge difference between downsizing and shifting around!
Christen Suckoo-another senior civil servant very bright but just out of short pants -will replace her. Until he falls foul of a politician and is replaced.
Yes, he is very bright and does a great job. He has acted as Chief Officer many times!!
As far as I know Christen is in his late 30s with about 15 years in the civil service. Does that really count as "just out of short pants"? He is a very able civil servant, so stop badmouthing him. Crabs in a barrel.
Demotion
Wrong move PPM she has had a lot of failings and now you are giving her this podition. This is one time when a perdon outside of the service with no connections should be hired to do the job, no conflicts, no partisanship unless of course they are directed by politicallyu driven bias
Three words come to mind immediately. “Piss up” and “brewery”.
Too funny
13:26.You nasty.Go and change your pants .And wash out your mouth.
She can now fire those who have been commenting about her poor performance, its good to be the king…or queen.
What did she do when she was chief officer of the Ministry of Education?
Please, enlighten us!
13:07.Come on ,read the article.
OMG! Talk about scary! :-/
you have got to be kidding??!!! really?
Mary this is not a fortunate position to be placed into but you are a strong woman and as you do your job I pray for wisdom and strenght for you in the administration of your job.
A word of advice start first with the jobs that can be filled by Caymanians in the HSA, Public Works, Statutory Authorities, all clerical positions and middle management positions within the CS should only be held by young qualified Caymanians. As a matter of fact any person within the CS that is not performing to the expected standard must be terminated, Caymanian or expat.
Look at the blue print that the government used back in 1975 when there was a economic down turn in the island and they were faced with the same hard decision in having to make positions redundant, implement a similar strategy. For this to work all government departments must be on board especially immigration.
One motivated, go getter, upbeat individual can do the job of five people. I think a personality overhaul is in order for the civil service staff. If you don't meet the criteria of working hard or if there is a customer complaint regarding inefficiency, then you are out.
Or better, do it this way. Every single civil service staff member is fired and has to reapply for their job. Every single one.
Great points but MR will have a tough time targeting slack CS. This will be due to the fact that the HOD or supervisor does not, and when they do, not consistently write up staff who are slack and dishonest.
This is often times due to either them being scared to rock the boat as someone big in CIG is related to or friends with the staff. Or due to them the HOD or supervisor being slack themselves so they have to let it slide.
There are a good few slackers in the CS and the manydecent hard workings CS get tarnished with the same brush.
Some of the lazy slack employees will slip through and remain. This will make it worst as CS will have been downsized and will suffer more as a result. These slackers will continue being slack and become even more empowered and ruthless. There will be less workers to carryout their duties.
You need to be fair and cut wisely MR.
"A radical change in the civil service and government"? I'll believe that when I see it. In other words, it ain't gonna happen! There is the same nepotism, the same buddy buddy system, and the same don't-rock-the-boat attitude in government now as it always has been. Don't look for any meaningful changes. Hey, if anyone gets axed,a politician might lose a vote!
And, as written above, “For it to succeed there needs to be strong leadership and expertise." The last time I looked, we were sadly lacking in both these fields. I say again, "It ain't gonna happen".
I wish I were wrong….
Maybe she can rewrite the Ernst and Young Report?
Dat more like it
Well well well. The Minister and teachers will be happy. But now we have another (acting) Chief Officer to pay for while she gets rid of the lower paid workers by privatising their jobs.
Does she become surplus to requirements after the rationalisation is complete?
No, 12:35, she will have to be found something else or else given study leave for a few years at government expense or sent home like Montoya and Drummond to sit there on paid leave until retirement.
We know it won't be the last of those options.
Hmm. And so this lack of leadership in the Civil Service continues. A Chief Officer in a most important ministry (Education and Employment no less) is ousted and no true Caymanian successor in sight. She was there five years (and Head of the Portfolio of the Civil Service for a few years just before that – the Portfoilio responsible for succession planning!) and no real reason why someone (to be frank 2 or 3) was/were not identified by the Deputy Governor as this lady's successor. Succession planning is important and cannot be left to the person holding that position to do so. Who would willingly identify and train their replacement when their own succssion plan has not been discussed and planned? Noone. Hopefully we don't employ the usual 'knee jerk' reaction and just pull the nearest stooge to fill this post in 6 months. Come on, DG, this is a real opportunity to do the right thing. If there ever is a need to action true succession planning in CIG it is now – not just as an empty exercise either.
And I thought the "hurry up and wait" was bad as we waited for new ministers to catch up with existing poilicy now we are disadvantaged as we wait for an acting chief officer to get all the "ducks lined up". Wake me up when it's all over. Last one out please turn off the lights!!!!
Succession planning in the CIG is a farce, when was the last time a senior management position became vacant and the Government was able to say that they had a replacement that they trained, groomed and prepared to take up the post?
It is usually chaos followed by complete change and a reinvention of the wheel as the new person learns the ropes and tries to get everthing going again. Upper management in CIG could learn a thing or two from Jack Welch about how succession planning works
Let's start reducing the CS by creating a new department and staffing it!
Foolish comment. This is not a new dept. but a temporary task force drawn from within the civil service so no new hires.
The 'trolls' obviously don't like the truth. They prefer foolish comments instead.
I bet the National Building Fund that (i) nothing is done, (ii) it will float around until the next Administartion, at which time they will (iii) appoint someone else, who will (iv) commission another report on the report of reports.
You couldn't make this crap up. Someone at the heart of a scandal about a cover up to protect civil service jobs is heading up this task?
Okay … so you cut Civil Servants. The private sector depends on them to perform and uphold the law. So … where do these unemployed folk go??? We have enough crime being committed because of no jobs. We have a social entitlements handed out in the thousands being paid by tax-payers money. There must be some provisions that will be made for the massive lay-offs.
Around the world and in the private sector ppl are being laid off. These people should start looking for jobs. Not just showing up at the govt doorstep for a handout. Also the forefathers did what they had to do to find work. Why can't the sissy cry babies do the same?
What massive layoffs?
EY will recommend them 7:09 (though they wont call them that-outsourcing, right sizing, cost sharing, privatisation etc) but it won't happen as too many votes are at stake.
Talk about being put in the line of fire!!!!!