Canada: staff in MPs' offices forced to sign gag orders to get pay rises
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http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2013/dec/14/canada-staff-gag-orders-civil-service Version 0 of 1. Canada: MPs' staff forced to sign gag orders to get pay rises New contracts require all staff in MP's offices to sign lifelong confidentiality agreements to prevent leaks of politically sensitive material. They can only breach the confidentiality agreement if required to do so by law, such as during a court testimony. If current staff break this agreement they can be fired immediately with no severance pay. A union representing staff in MP's offices is looking into the legal grounds to challenge the agreement. It says some staff have foregone pay rises rather than sign it. India: civil servant aspirants protest over exam changes Up to 200 students protested outside parliament, demanding an increase in the number of attempts for the civil service entrance exam. A security alert was sounded after the students were spotted marching towards the main gates with placards and shouting slogans. Groups larger than four people are not allowed to enter the area where the protest took place. Armed police dispersed the crowds. Ireland: civil service review deemed failure as majority pass The Irish civil service acknowledged its performance management system had produced unrealistic results, after the majority of the 30,000 state employees were ranked as "exceeding the required standard". Less than 1% of staff were assessed as "unacceptable" or "needing improvement" while 6% were "outstanding". The system links performance to pay increments and eligibility for promotion. The expert group that drew up the system previously estimated that up to 20% of staff would "need improvement". Palestinian territories: EU paying civil servants who don't work The European court of auditors has called for the European Union to overhaul its aid to the Palestinian authority after a report found money was going to civil servants who are not working. The audit report looked at €1bn in EU funding during 2008 to 2012, and found that 90 of 125 people being paid in the Palestinian territory were not working, including teachers and doctors. The problem was concentrated on Gaza, where it is said that aid beneficiaries were not working due to the political situation. The court recommends the EU redirect funds to the West Bank instead. India: ministers barred from asking favours of civil servants Prime minister Manmohan Singh has cleared a change in the code of conduct for ministers which bans them from asking civil servants to do anything that conflicts with their duties and responsibilities. Civil servants are already banned from trying to gain favour from the political executive. The code of conduct is not legally enforceable, but the prime minister and chief ministers are charged with ensuring that it is enforced. <em>• Want your say? Email us at public.leaders@theguardian.com</em> <em> </em> <strong>To get our articles on policy and leadership direct to your inbox, sign up to the Guardian</strong><strong> Public Leaders Network</strong><strong> now. </strong> <strong>Looking for your next role? See our </strong><strong>Guardian jobs site</strong><strong> for </strong><strong>senior executive jobs in government and politics</strong><strong>. </strong> <em>• For the latest on public services leadership, follow us: </em><em>@Guardianpublic</em> Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |