The binmen deserve a better deal
ONE of the States' clear policies is to provide only services that the private sector cannot or should not be delivering to islanders.
ONE of the States' clear policies is to provide only services that the private sector cannot or should not be delivering to islanders.
It is one of the reasons that the Policy Council confirmed in this newspaper yesterday that it is looking to see what it can outsource, including to the 'third' or charitable sector.
Yes, that drive to slim what government does is also as a result of cost pressures and a reluctance by the unions to accept what countless other islanders have to – zero pay rises – or else fund an increase through productivity or other changes.
Nevertheless, it is policy and if government is to be criticised in this area it is because it is moving so slowly and missing opportunities.
Yet bizarrely, this same States is also actively looking to close down long-established private businesses that have been providing excellent, low cost, services.
Instead, the drive appears to be to replace that with a centralised, government-run operation that will, as things stand, put any new staff on a final-salary, index-linked gold-plated pension.
This travesty, which will see the end of the parish binmen, is for one reason only: to make life easier for Public Services, which is engineering the demise of the private contractor.
Yes, after responding to questions from this newspaper, it conceded that it will go out to tender for island-wide kerbside recycling.
But the binmen are under no illusion that will be a fair fight.
States Works will already have been providing a pilot scheme and has the advantage of operating from a multi-million pound, taxpayer-funded facility where servicing, spares, fuel and holiday and sickness cover are provided for free.
Those providing the parish service already have one hand tied behind their back but despite that provide a cheaper and – as we saw in the snow – more reliable service than SWD.
Closing down the parish collections is all about control. Bureaucrats love centralisation – despite the States' desire to see less of it – and a valuable and highly-regarded part of island life will be sacrificed because of it.
The PSD minister knows it is wrong – but refuses to stop it.
