‘We will have to stand up to unions over cuts’

In an interview with the Guernsey Press focused on controlling the cost of public sector staffing, Peter Ferbrache said the States had to be ready to say that what worked in the past no longer did, and that change was needed.

‘We have got lots of civil servants who work very hard and do give full value for their salaries.

‘But we have got – in my view – some room for manoeuvre, some scope for cuts at certain levels,’ said Deputy Ferbrache.

He stressed that was not about cutting front line workers such as police officers and nurses.

‘They’re not really civil service. They’re state employees. Nobody’s really suggesting you make any radical changes to those, or the States Works Department, who go out and do all the stuff they’ve got to do, because they’re fundamental to the fabric of the island.’

But he added: ‘I think we will be saying you need a percentage less middle managers and a perhaps percentage less senior States employees.

‘That’s the way it may have to be because some of the packages are such nowadays that they’re probably out of kilter with the private sector.’

Policy & Resources has introduced a new approvals process for senior officer posts in the civil service over the past few weeks.

Deputy Ferbrache said Guernsey’s government should be run in a business-like manner for a purpose.

That meant things such as children being able to go to decent schools, people having pension provisions, a safety net and the roads maintained.

Law and order, health systems and the environment were also within government’s remit, he said.

But a lot of matters could be left to the private and charity sectors, particularly when they could do the job better for less in instances of ‘duplication’.

Asked about the potential response from the unions to any changes, Deputy Ferbrache said it was important to respect them and their jobs, to protect and

enhance the roles of their members.

But he added: ‘It may mean we’ve got to sometimes say to the unions: “That worked then. That was acceptable then. It’s not acceptable in the future”.

‘We’ve got to look them in the eye and say: “Ultimately, we can only do what we can do and if you don’t like it then we may have to have an argument”.

‘We don’t want that. But we mustn’t be frightened to have those arguments, if the circumstances merit it.’