UNITED STATES
US President, Donald Trump has issued a series of Executive Orders making it easier to fire Public Servants who perform poorly, curtailing the time Government employees can engage in union work and directing Agencies to negotiate tougher contracts.
The President had earlier said the Federal bureaucracy was awash in “waste, fraud and abuse”.
His Republican Party has long sought to reduce the size and reach of the Federal Public Service, which is two million strong.
Since Mr Trump came to office, he has been gradually reducing the numbers through hiring freezes and unfilled vacancies.
The Executive Orders could have a much more dramatic impact: they immediately drew polarised reactions, with public employee unions casting them as an attack on PS staff and conservatives praising the overhaul as a win for accountability.
The orders limit Federal employees to spending no more than one-quarter of their workday on paid time to do union business — a benefit Congress approved for Federal unions four decades ago.
Administration officials said the change could save US$100 million (A$133 million) a year.
The orders require Agencies to negotiate union contracts in less than a year, and they direct managers to move more aggressively to fire poor performers or employees involved in misconduct, limiting to one month a last-chance grace period for improvement that currently can last up to 120 days.
Agencies must also disclose details about an employee’s record to other Federal offices considering hiring someone who has been fired or disciplined.
The changes also upend a long tradition of basing layoffs on seniority.
Agencies can now take performance into consideration, as well.
The orders also require Agencies to begin charging unions for space in Federal buildings they currently use for free.
White House officials said their goal was to make the Federal workforce more efficient and responsive to the public and to improve morale for employees who play by the rules.
Washington, DC, 26 May 2018
