LETTERS Inbox
From: Eric Kendall Subject: Eliminating waste
With regards to the article about Chichester installing in cab 2 way communications and tracking system, we also did this across our fleet of 40 vehicles including road and precinct sweepers. As with Chichester, this has led to efficiency savings not only in relation to the back and front office but also fuel savings because of reduced idling and speeding.
The system was readily adopted by the men even though there was a suspicion about having a spy in the cab as they are no longer having to wait to report missed bins etc. The system is very easy to use and we have adapted the screens further to increase efficiency.
I would recommend the system to other councils looking to make efficiencies.
From: Lisa Gagliani Subject: LEPs face criticism
The criticism made by the FSB that chambers would use LEP funding to support members at the expense of non members is absurd. The FSB would itself be in exactly the same predicament if the LEPs were channeled through their organisation.
The reason why some government funded initiatives do well via the chambers is that the chamber network provides ready access to business owners who value and respond to incentives and contracts of support. The contracts rarely come with sufficient marketing budget to make known to all what is available.
Sep/Oct 10
What the LEPs could offer, and I think this is the sentiment and intention behind the concept, is to offer support to business led by business and shaped by business rather than the bureaucratic and educational politics of some of the business support contracts of late, which are more about politics and box ticking than business.
The chambers and FSB should work together to create such ‘partnerships’ with colleges, private providers and universities
From: Chas Winfield Subject: Helping the private sector
The coalition says that they want to help the private sector. The Labour government caused the closure of thousands of pubs making tens of thousands of
staff unemployed, because of the smoking ban.
If the coalition was to allow publicans to choose whether to allow smoking or not, it would put a stop to the massive amount of closures and will most likely increase the trade of the remaining pubs and clubs. With an increase in pub trade the coalition would receive much more in alcohol duty and tax.
From: Don Bremner Subject: Your article ‘double dipping’
I was concerned to read the attitudes expressed in this article and the use of the term ‘double dipping’. I am not sure of these details but hope that it is not an attack on flexible retirement arrangements which I believe can be available to all local
authority workers. This scheme actually saves local authorities money and supports older staff in their transition towards retirement.
The whole financial effect is that employees can reduce salary by either grade or time worked (or both) and therefore save the LA money. It also saves on recruitment costs and training new staff and can be a particularly useful tool in saving money during restructures, downsizing or general reductions in staffing.
You may wish to get a full and better response to this particular part of the issue. The pension, when being paid to the employee (normally over 60 yrs old) does not cost the LA.
I hope this is of help in ‘balancing’ opinions expressed.
pse 11
Email your views to
opinion@publicsectorexecutive.com
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