Political appointees

Dear Editor,

With the greatest respect, there are those who are concerned about organisations (anywhere); how they are structured, and manned; how employees are recruited and are compensated.

There is the expectation that there would be a reasonably consistent approach that would in particular inform a compensation system. Normal compensation systems usually observe a logical pattern of values for levels of jobs in the organisation. Unfortunately in the case of some organisations in the local public sector for example, employing agencies have insisted on recruitment by contract (as has obtained for the last two decades in the Public Service itself). So that both senior and junior staff are indiscriminatingly on the same playing field.

Objectively therefore from a distance it becomes difficult to appreciate the conclusion that only one set of employees is ‘politically appointed’.

As a matter of interest several thousands of employees in the Public Service are contracted throughout all fourteen approved grades – from Cleaner to Permanent Secretary, and therefore qualify to be treated as ‘political appointees’.

In the circumstances, and having regard to possible future developments, the situation needs to be addressed from a more strategic standpoint – as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service, 2016.

Any other approach will not survive objective scrutiny.

Yours faithfully,

E.B. John