ANIMAL FORUM

>Pats Note: There you go folks, the government have started to dismantle the
>State Veterinary Service fan club.
>
>Collecting dead birds is no longer appreciated. Wrong career choice,
>Malcolm!
>
>As an anti EU Thatcherite, Im in serious danger of voting.....
>
>http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/domestic-policy/constitution/government-and-administration/pcs-union-anger-over-defra-compulsory-redundancies-$455993.htm
>
>PCS: Union anger over Defra compulsory redundancies
>
>Friday, 27 Oct 2006 15:58
>
>The Public and Commercial Services Union reacted furiously today as 19
>Wildlife Officers were made compulsory redundant by the Department for the
>Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The union warned that the
>compulsory redundancies, which are the first as a result of the governments
>drive to slash over 80,000 civil servants, marked a step change in policy
>and could be followed by more across the civil service.
>
>The union fears that if the compulsory redundancies by Defra go unchallenged
>that it will give the green light for other areas to do the same, whether in
>the Defra family or across the rest of the civil service. Pointing to the
>2,000 agency workers elsewhere in the department and ongoing Field Officer
>work in Defras agencies, the union maintains that Defra could avoid
>compulsory redundancies through redeployment.
>
>There were initially over 70 Wildlife Officers and many of them chose to
>leave over recent months when Defra made clear it no longer wished to
>continue with their services. The Wildlife Unit provided a valuable front
>line resource during the foot and mouth crisis. More recently some have been
>plotting bird migration data and collecting bird carcasses for another Defra
>agency, the State Veterinary Service (SVS), as part of the control measures
>for dealing with bird flu, in addition to field work surrounding the control
>of Bovine TB and Newcastles disease.
>
>Members at the two sites affected in Truro and Stroud as well as Defra
>headquarters in London, were meeting this afternoon to discuss the next
>steps of the campaign against the compulsory redundancies.
>
>Commenting Marilyn Bayes, Defra group president, said: Staff are angry that
>people have been made compulsory redundant by Defra at the same time as the
>department are employing over 2,000 agency staff. It makes no sense
>whatsoever and will undermine the ability of Defra to respond to sudden
>outbreaks of diseases such as foot and mouth or Bird Flu. The loss of the
>Wildlife Officers is likely force Defra to rely on external charitable
>organisations and private contractors to provide services in any future
>emergency disease out break.
>
>Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, added: These compulsory redundancies
>are totally unnecessary and avoidable as it is quite clear that there is
>work for the Wildlife Officers to do. We cannot let these compulsory
>redundancies go unchallenged as the government plough on with axing jobs and
>damaging services. There is a real danger that other departments will see
>this as a green light and follow with compulsory redundancies, which is why
>we will be intensifying our campaign against compulsory redundancies.

>On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:15:55 +0100, Pat Gardiner
> wrote:
>
>>Pats Note: There you go folks, the government have started to dismantle the
>>State Veterinary Service fan club.
>>
>>Collecting dead birds is no longer appreciated. Wrong career choice,
>>Malcolm!
>>
>>As an anti EU Thatcherite, Im in serious danger of voting.....
>>
>>http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/domestic-policy/constitution/government-and-administration/pcs-union-anger-over-defra-compulsory-redundancies-$455993.htm
>>
>>PCS: Union anger over Defra compulsory redundancies
>>
>>Friday, 27 Oct 2006 15:58
>>
>>The Public and Commercial Services Union reacted furiously today as 19
>>Wildlife Officers were made compulsory redundant by the Department for the
>>Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The union warned that the
>>compulsory redundancies, which are the first as a result of the governments
>>drive to slash over 80,000 civil servants, marked a step change in policy
>>and could be followed by more across the civil service.
>>
>>The union fears that if the compulsory redundancies by Defra go unchallenged
>>that it will give the green light for other areas to do the same, whether in
>>the Defra family or across the rest of the civil service. Pointing to the
>>2,000 agency workers elsewhere in the department and ongoing Field Officer
>>work in Defras agencies, the union maintains that Defra could avoid
>>compulsory redundancies through redeployment.
>>
>>There were initially over 70 Wildlife Officers and many of them chose to
>>leave over recent months when Defra made clear it no longer wished to
>>continue with their services. The Wildlife Unit provided a valuable front
>>line resource during the foot and mouth crisis. More recently some have been
>>plotting bird migration data and collecting bird carcasses for another Defra
>>agency, the State Veterinary Service (SVS), as part of the control measures
>>for dealing with bird flu, in addition to field work surrounding the control
>>of Bovine TB and Newcastles disease.
>>
>>Members at the two sites affected in Truro and Stroud as well as Defra
>>headquarters in London, were meeting this afternoon to discuss the next
>>steps of the campaign against the compulsory redundancies.
>>
>>Commenting Marilyn Bayes, Defra group president, said: Staff are angry that
>>people have been made compulsory redundant by Defra at the same time as the
>>department are employing over 2,000 agency staff. It makes no sense
>>whatsoever and will undermine the ability of Defra to respond to sudden
>>outbreaks of diseases such as foot and mouth or Bird Flu. The loss of the
>>Wildlife Officers is likely force Defra to rely on external charitable
>>organisations and private contractors to provide services in any future
>>emergency disease out break.
>>
>>Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, added: These compulsory redundancies
>>are totally unnecessary and avoidable as it is quite clear that there is
>>work for the Wildlife Officers to do. We cannot let these compulsory
>>redundancies go unchallenged as the government plough on with axing jobs and
>>damaging services. There is a real danger that other departments will see
>>this as a green light and follow with compulsory redundancies, which is why
>>we will be intensifying our campaign against compulsory redundancies.
>
>Good riddance I say. The incompetent buffoons.
>
>I guess thats another job for Ogilvie bites the dust!