Feb 07 - GGCA Meets With Minister To Discuss Master Service Future
Today, the GGCA President and Vice President, and the GGCA Master Service (Gib) Ltd (“Master Service”) Section Reps met with the Minister for the Environment. The GGCA representatives took the opportunity to express their concerns to the Minister for the Environment regarding the Government’s recent decision to put the cleaning and recycling services carried out by the company to public tender.
A statement from the union continued: “The main proposal put forward by the GGCA was that, on the termination of the contract, that the services provided by Master Service be reabsorbed by the Government of Gibraltar, with a view to returning the cleaning of public areas to the public sector. If there are concerns regarding the cost of outsourcing such services, this would ‘cut out the middle man’ and result in efficiencies, thereby resulting in savings to the taxpayer. The Master Service workforce would be happy to retain their current terms and conditions, as long as their employment status was changed from private to public, as this would give them continuity and job security – such a move would also be cost effective and would increase value for the general public. The vehicles and equipment currently utilised by Master Service are property of the Government of Gibraltar, so such a move would not incur extra capital expenditure.
“The Master Service workers are afraid that, on the commencement of the tender process, their jobs will be on the line every time a contract expires and is once again subject to a tender process. The majority of the Master Service staff are long term employees – it is estimated that more than 50% of workers are long term employees, having worked for more than 15 years in the company. They have provided many years of exceptional service undertaking hazardous and back breaking jobs in service to the community – they do not deserve to live in constant uncertainty and fear, with the threat of job losses, changes of terms and conditions and the insecurity that recurring contracts for the outsourcing of these services will bring.
“We feel that a move away from privatisation and towards the nationalisation of such an important service for our community is entirely consistent with socialist principles, and will bring a long term benefit to Gibraltar.
“However, if the Government of Gibraltar is unwilling to consider this proposal, the Master Service staff has already shown its support for Master Service and has communicated its desire to remain within the structure currently provided by the company. A mandate to this end was given to the GGCA Committee at a meeting with the membership last Tuesday.
“In the event that the Government of Gibraltar is not willing to take on board the proposals made by the GGCA (which will be formalised and communicated in writing to the Minister for the Environment later today), the GGCA will have to revert to the membership for a further mandate. The Government of Gibraltar have given verbal assurances that the employees will be protected and their terms and conditions will be respected, but agreeing written assurances that will protect the membership adequately, to the satisfaction of the GGCA Committee and its membership, will be a long and arduous process, which we feel we would not be able to properly accomplish within the few short months that the Government of Gibraltar has allowed us.
“The GGCA Committee is to meet with the Chief Minister on Thursday 9th February 2017 and we shall be requesting a separate meeting, with our Master Service Section Reps, to discuss this matter exclusively.”
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