Readers’ Views

Other considerations weigh on public service practices

I’m disappointed that the column “Linking pay to performance could fix SOEs — and government” (May 23) came from Mark Barnes, with his intimate knowledge of government organisations.

We all agree that pay should be measured against performance but in state-owned enterprises we have a unique problem: the greatest key objective will always be based on transformation.

It will always weigh more heavily than efficiency or profit, so his desired outcomes will not happen.

Lloyd Macklin, on businessLIVE

Barnes writes: “Once [the organisation descends to the standard of the lowest common denominator], the only way to persuade owners to pay more and more for less and less is to stand together, in unison, and try to force them to.”

Incentivisation also comes with differentiation. I think there’s a lot of public sympathy and support for health-care workers, for example, in these circumstances, but then they chose to join umbrella unions such as the PSA [Public Servants Association of SA], in the belief that size would serve them better than performance.

As a result, a lot of less-deserving groups are hanging on their coat-tails. Al Cadre, on businessLIVE

In and out and inoculated

Hilary Joffe’s column, “Slick vax op shows public-private co-operation at its best” (May 23), refers. I agree.

My wife and I went on Friday [last week]. I can only say first-world efficiency — out in plus-minus 40 minutes, including the 15-minute wait. Michael Richman, on businessLIVE

Market growth vs overpopulation

Last week’s photo of our president meeting his counterpart in Paris has a dramatic tone to it. It could have come from a play or perhaps a war movie.

There was a look of desperation on his face, which we can understand, and if the French leader only realised what a tough job our president has, perhaps he would also have given him an award for bravery.

A few years ago, the French expressed concerns about the population explosion in Africa, however, we can only wonder what conditions may be attached to any aid that comes our way.

Corporations and crony capitalists see Africa as a growing market, but environmental scientists warn that the planet is already in very deep trouble due to overpopulation. It’s a scary scenario — which way will things go? Desperate Saffer, by e-mail