VOICE OF THE
WORKERS ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 2014
Contents Sustaining the Value Chain
02
Investing in Worker Potential
03
The Civil Service and the EU
05
The Civil Service
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The Civil Service in Europe
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THE PUBLIC SERVICE Making life better for all The name given to the Public Service is very appropriate: It is a service that makes the citizen at the centre of its existence. The Public service is the oil in a machine that provides for a plethora of services to the tax payer. This sector is responsible for carrying out government’s agenda, and provides services to sectors of society that may even be prohibitive to private investment. It is a body that provides indispensable advice to the policy maker. The Public Service has traditionally been a heaviliy hierarchical organisation, where change was difficult and tradition was respected. As the economic, VOICE OF THE
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social and technological scenarios are constantly in flux, today’s Public Service has to be flexible enough to be proactive and remain relevant to its mission. This is perhaps the Service’s main challenge. The Public Service defines viability in terms of social parameters, and success or failure is measured through the social yardstick. These challenges need to be met with different strategies. However, the main strategy needs to focus on people, as it is they who can make change happen and processes move. Continuous development and training is one such instrument of change. On the positive side, more and
EDITOR’S NOTE JOSEF VELLA more people are opting to obtain qualifications to bolster their skills. However, more and more needs to be done to encourage workers to develop people and team skills. Large organisations may sometimes fall victim to a feeling of people feeling too small to make a difference. We believe that good soft skills may be a good way to help people believe in themselves and give excellent services to their clients. One aspect that needs further discussion and appropriate action is the issue of deployment. Unfortunately, we hear of many workers that are placed in one department or another without making sure that the 1
EDITORIAL
person has the right aptitudes for that particular work. When workers are transferred from one place to another without due consideration to their skills and their expectations, a mismatch may occur. The consquences are borne by the person, the person’s family, work colleagues as well as the service as a whole. Some years back, an exercise in individual profiling was carried out precisely to address this situation. Unfortunately, the exercise never bore the desired fruit. The Public Service is so wide in scope, and the work so different, that it would not be fair to assume that everuy argument applies across the service. However, there are some aspects that can be tackled across board. Firstly:
engage in culture changes. Unfortunately, failures or mistakes are not allowed within this culture. Whilst being accountable for one’s actions is commendable, on the other hand we cannot arrive at a situation where people are terrified of taking decisions for fear of retribution should they fail. Mistakes are part of work, and excellence is achieved through learning from these mistakes. Across the Public Service, many workers need to be encouraged to find meaning in what they do, and have pride in what their organisation does. Unfortunately, due to work pressures and other personal situations, workers may feel alienated from their work. A lot of workers are also
overworked due to unbalanced personnel allocation. Others, especially those working in front-line jobs, need much more support than they already have, and their concerns need to find friendly ears. The Public Service is the country’s biggest organisation. Its work may be tough and very diverse. However, the crux of what the Public service does is that it should aim to make life better for all people across Malta and Gozo. Whilst paying tribute to the hard work and dedication by many workers acorss the Public Service, we need to constantly work so that making life better for people permeates through all levels of the Public Service. PICTURE STORY
Sustaining the Value Chain The Public Service provides an essential range of services to people and the economy. Although these services are diverse, they still form part of an overall value chain that taxpayers expect. The Public Service has the challenge to keep up and exceed people’s rising expectations. 21st century clients expect excellent service, making no difference whether the service is provided by private or public organisations. Behaving socially and continually working towards a proactive and creative approach to service provision is the best way towards keeping the Public Service relevant to modern day individual needs. VOICE OF THE
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FEATURE
Investing in Worker Potential INTERVIEW WITH MARIO SACCO Senior Secretary of the Public Service Employees Section, UĦM
What, in your opinion, are the major challenges facing public service employees in general? I believe that one of the biggest challenges faced by every public officer is to strike a balance between the wishes if the politician and what is technically and legally correct in line with national legislation. There is also another challenge in how fast legislative changes are transposed to concrete action in the least possible time, that is fair and effective to the citizen.
Public service employees in Malta enjoy family friendly measures that are still absent in some private sector workplaces. How are these affecting public service workers, and what can be done to improve them? Family Friendly Measures (FFM) are today an essential part of working conditions that are sought after by workers. Many a time, the presence of these measures even take precedence over pay. Measures such as
“...if the public administration seriously invests in team building, designed so that workers feel a sense of increased ownership in all they do and propose” VOICE OF THE
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reduced hours, parental leave, the possibility of taking a career break, flexi-time and telework, can attract certain workers to choose a career in the Public Service. These measures are also effective for employee retention, as workers opt to remain in the Service as they know that these measures might not be available elsewhere. I believe that the administration should have the facility to fill in lost hours due to employees working on reduced hours, with casual workers. I believe that this is a crucial aspect and needs to be implemented as fast as possible. Presently, this facility can be availed of only in cases where Public Officers take parental leave or have a career break. The fact 3
FEATURE MEUSAC
that this arrangement cannot be used for reduced hours is creating various problems. Another measure that needs addressing is the rule that one can benefit from FFM only if the worker has been with the Service for at least a year. I believe that this rule is a barrier for workers who wish to return to work. Whilst ensuring that the system is not abused, I believe that making the system less rigid will work out well for everyone. With regards to telework, I feel that the system is still too fluid, and there may come a time when who is presently benefitting from this measure will keep on benefitting, whilst those who need it but still do not benefit from it, will have to wait their turn. I also feel that a study needs to be conducted to analyse the impact of this measure on workers who are ‘non-teleworkers’. For this to be done, the system needs to be centralised within PAHRO, in constant communication with line ministries and departments. How can the potential of public service workers be further enhanced? You can find many cases where workers feel demotivated due to lack of appreciation of the person’s work. This leads to workers being reluctant to take a personal initiative to improve systems. Apart from this, the current Performance Management Programme (PMP) is not reaching the aims for which it was designed. The procedure is paper-heavy and a sheer waste of time. I believe that workers’ potential can be utilised better if the public administration seriously invests in team building, designed so that workers feel a sense of VOICE OF THE
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increased ownership in all they do and propose. Ideally, this team building should be done across all levels of workers, as I believe that everyone can positively contribute to the organisation. The PMP should be replaced with a regular feedback mechanism in a way that individual potential can be assessed and unlocked instantaneously. What, do you think, can be done to increase communication between the union, its present members and potential ones? Communication between the union and its members, and between the union and the general public can be facilitated in various ways, with methods already in use by the business sector. The union needs to continue to make use of traditional methods of communication, such as those listed in the Union’s statute, including worker General Meetings and statutory
committees. But this is not enough. We need to use modern tools such as e-mail, social media and SMS to facilitate the effectiveness of the Union’s message without depending on the whims and fancies of who has a tab on the traditional media. Sometimes, the tone of a press release will depend heavily on the tone being used by a journalist or newscaster, and what is communicated would not necessarily reflect the real gist of the intended communication. Apart from this, I believe that the Union needs to invest in educational marketing of workers’ rights. In this way, we can achieve more awareness in this field whilst keeping people abreast of the union’s endeavours over time. Last but not least, newspaper articles and a consistent presence on television and radio programmes can contribute to encouraging people to keep abreast of the Union’s initiatives in relation to the national agenda.
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MEUSAC
The Civil Service and the EU Malta’s accession to the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2014 has envisaged a shift in the role of public administration away from the traditional notion of being the sole provider of public services. One particular aspect of this shift has been that of the restructuring of the public service through the transformation and upgrading of the EU affairs department in each Ministry to adapt to the new structures and decision-making processes of the EU. The public administration in Malta has also had to master the ropes of EU membership and come to terms with the modus operandi of the Union and its cumulative body of legislation.
The Ministry for European Affairs (MEAIM), established for the first time in March 2013, the EU Secretariat within the MEAIM, the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU in Brussels (PREU) and the EU directorates within the line Ministries, are all responsible for the administration of EU affairs. Within MEAIM, EU funds that are managed at the national level are handled by the Parliamentary Secretariat for the EU Council Presidency 2017 and EU Funds which is also responsible for Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. The PREU represents the Government in a number of meetings steered by the EU and transmits all information stemming from and being sent
to the Union’s institutions. The Permanent Representation is staffed with a combination of diplomatic and technical personnel, and its structure mirrors the different EU Council configurations. The EU Secretariat within MEAIM is responsible for the coordination of EU-related matters across Ministries and the formulation of Malta’s position and line to be adopted in the various EU fora accordingly. In many instances, the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC), is called upon by the Ministries to facilitate consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the position to be taken by Government on legislative and non-legislative dossiers being discussed at EU level.
MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE
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MCESD
The Civil Service The Civil Service in Malta employs thousands of workers with varying expertise and capabilities. Without workers of the Civil Service, the Government would be unable to implement its goals and aspirations. The large number of employees in the public sector might sometimes be criticised due to the tax burden that this poses on our country. However one needs to keep in mind that without a strong Civil Service the country would not function the way it should. The Civil Service in recent years has been at the forefront of trying to become the model employer especially in terms of family friendly measures and in the fight against precarious employment. The Civil Service in Malta provides a vast range of services in
healthcare, social, environment, tax and investments and so many others. Hence the need for this same service to continuously strive to be efficient. Excellent customer service skills and good work ethic are to be at the forefront of the Civil Service’s agenda since it is continuously providing services to all types of ‘customers’. Government has acknowledged the need for continuous professional development within the public sector and has also ensured this through the setting up of a specialised unit that provides various types of courses and training for all the workers of the Civil Service. Furthermore, in certain circumstances public service officials provide the training since they would have become specialised throughout the years.
Clients of the public service include the politicians themselves but the public at large. There are various issues which were identified that need improvement and the government also informed members that various one stop shops will be set up to ensure smoother and better service to the public. In March 2014 the Principal Permanent Secretary Mr. Mario Cutajar presented a paper to the MCESD Council members on the improvement of the public service. There was a general agreement between Social Partners that there are numerous positive aspects to the Civil Service; however they gladly welcome initiatives for continuous improvement.
MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt VOICE OF THE
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CIA
The Civil Service in Europe The Civil Service is the backbone not just of EU member states, but of the EU itself. There are many initiatives running at EU level that include recruitment and training. This information was collected be the Brussels office of the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori. Civil Service Awards in the UK After 5 months of deliberation and with almost 700 nominations whittled down to 16 categories, last night we finally found out who won what at this year’s Civil Service Awards. Now in their ninth year, the awards give us a chance to recognise the amazing work civil servants do on a day-to-day basis, and to celebrate those who have gone above and beyond or whose projects have significantly contributed to improving the lives of citizens. See the complete list of winners here: www.civilserviceawards.com/winners ENTO - a European civil service training network Improving local democracy ENTO is a European network grouping together the local and regional authority training establishments of virtually all of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states. First thought up by the Council of Europe, ENTO has, since 1995, been an independent association grouping a very wide variety of members, among them both organisations with years of training experience and relatively recent institutions with their own specialities. From this diversity springs a wide-ranging network within which members can exchange ideas and pool experience with other persons or bodies active in the same field, but with a different fund of knowledge. More information are available here : www.coe.int/t/congress/Activities/cooperation/ENTO/ default_en.asp
European Union jobs sitting the test to be a civil servant The European Civil Service Federation is promoting preparation training for passing the EPSO test in order to become a European civil servant: More information about the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing are available here: www.ffpe-bxl.eu European Semester 2015: a new momentum for jobs, growth and investment Putting Europe firmly back on track of sustainable job creation and economic growth, that is the focus of the 2015 Annual Growth Survey (AGS), published today. The AGS kicks off the European Semester, launches the annual cycle of economic governance and sets out general economic priorities for the EU and provides Member States with policy guidance for the following year. Despite the efforts made at national and EU level, the recovery of the European economy is still weak and fragile. The arrival of the new Commission with its ambitious agenda is the right timing to generate new momentum. By proposing to mobilise at least € 300 billion of additional public and private investment over the next three years, Europe is turning a page. This is part of the European Commission’s overall approach to support job creation and get Europe growing. The Commission therefore recommends in its Annual Growth Survey 2015 pursuing an economic and social policy based on three main pillars: • a boost to investment, • a renewed commitment to structural reforms and • the pursuit of fiscal responsibility. ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=2 159&furtherNews=yes
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