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The truths they don't want you to read....

Friday, February 15, 2008

Entrepreneurship

The Comhairle run a scheme whereby Council employees may be able to take up to a year off to start their own business, with their post guaranteed should they decide to return.

It is a well worthwhile attempt to encourage private businesses to make a contribution to the islands economy.

Or at least it could be.

I understand an architect applied to the scheme, and was refused by the Human Resources panel in December, as his position was irreplacable. He has now left the Council. An electrical technician was refused by Human Resources in December and again this week, again on the same grounds.

Yesterday the Council decided to second the Director of Technical Services to the Schools PPP Special Purpose Vehicle for three years, with his Depute covering for him during that period.

Does anyone understand the logic?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although this job and it's 70k salary was advertised internally I heard at the time that it was set up for the director of Tech Services, a traditional CNES sideways shift carried out with the usual impartiality associated with the CNES personnel dept. I'm not sure of the reasons behind this but I would bet they are not transparent.
Given the spec for this job I'm suprised it was not advertised nationally as the sports centre disaster would imply that there is not the talent within the Whitehouse to successfully handle projects of this complexity and size.

Anonymous said...

Jesus. Someone wants to be an entrepreneur and import labour to work in the island supermarkets. I dont care if its child labour, east europeans or the queens cosuin, just get some bloomin' staff.

Just back in the door having queued up for 11 minutes in the Co-op and then I had to go to Somerfields and queued for a further 14 minutes there. So a brief hours shopping soon ended up as doubling in time (ok - crap maths I know)

I would say Co-op was down to shear volume (as it is on a Saturday - note to self "shop only on Tuesday nights from now on") and that Somerfields - I still prefer calling it Presto - was complete lack of staff.

Why dont these places take on more staff? Do they try to? Do our unemployed see it as below them to work in a supermarket? What about saturday jobs for the islands youth?

Perhaps entrepreneurs dont want to invest here as they would not be able to get the staff or quality of service on the islands as they would on the mainland.

Yours fustrated and annoyed

Discuss!

Anonymous said...

Dear God, this project is costing over £200,000 of the Director's time plus support team, plus the Head of the SPV, all of which have to be paid for by cutting education spending elsewhere.

Didn't Alastair Allan promise us that the SNP would continue to meet Labour's promises? Has he ANY idea what that meant? (Obviously not)

Anonymous said...

Didn't Alastair Allan promise us that the SNP would continue to meet Labour's promises?

Ha, when did that matter to him? Give me one promise that he made to get elected in the Islands that he has kept?

Anonymous said...

I understand an architect applied to the scheme, and was refused by the Human Resources panel in December, as his position was irreplacable

It would be interesting to know if he has been replaced because I am sure that would be grounds for constructive dismissal by said architect.

Anonymous said...

The CEO having got rid of Ms Froud needed to shift the ineffectual Director of Tech Services - the job was created to do that hence the internal advert. Not much better than the scam to appoint a new Emergancy Planning Officer where only one person was interviewed!

Anonymous said...

Angus,

You are up to speed on council rules if the job was deliberatly hidden to ensure a chosen candidate got it is that not illegal?

Anonymous said...

Logic - what logic? Any local authority that closes its main swimming pool in the long dark nights of January when there's haw hee to do instead of leaving it until the longer spring/summer days does not employ logic.....

Anonymous at 5:04 regarding the supermarkets - perhaps they could employ folk that can engage with their customers too? You know, a wee please, thank you and even a smile would be most welcome!

Customer service in the islands is pretty chronic. There's an air of "be grateful that we're here" rather than a "Gosh, you're paying my wages, kind person that you are" mentality that seems to have crept in from who knows where?

Angus said...

Anon 9:02

I vaguely remember seeing an advert in the Herald(?) for the head of the SPV. I do no not know the outcome of this advert.

The PPP minutes are unclear.

If no-one was appointed, and the Director of TS was seconded to fill a vacancy, then that is legal and proper (assuming Council approval).

Does this mean that there were suitable applicants for the post? Can anyone with access to the Minutes find any reference to this?

Anonymous said...

As I've said in a previous blog he surprised all of his department including deputies by actually expressing interest in the job. What a great leader he turned out to be.....

Anonymous said...

Angus,

It now appears the Director of tech services was lined up for the job as his own job is now today being advertised as an internal advert. Presumably for a Mr Gray.