CrunchieSquirrel Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If I were a councillor, I would think about where the cutbacks and savings really do need to be. Right now, the council are just stabbing in the dark trying their best to improve finances by cutting sources which are/were desperate for Shetland's communities. I would say if they had enough money, they should add another lane for the road at Tingwall valley, re-organise the interior in Sumburgh airport (the stairs are such a waste of space - why was it there in the first place?) and decide upon what schools need to be shut (like Skerries). Acid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Sumburgh Airport is not within the council's sphere of influence (except perhaps the runway extension). And the stairs lead to a big upstairs area with all sorts of facilites including a cafeteria that were used for offshore workers a good while ago and may one day be used again. But if I was a councillor I would want to sit down with my colleagues and closely examine staffing levels in all council departments. Would be looking in particular (but not exclusively) at staff who did not directly provide front line services and I would compare the situation in Shetland with the O.I.C. and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. But I would also be asking my colleagues to join me in requesting the Chief Executive to direct someone capable of the task to check on all external funding that might be available and which the S.I.C. does not currently access. Acid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Scorrie Posted February 12, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If I were a councillor, I'd bring in bigger pints and longer fags. And I'd make summary roadside execution of people who can't reverse into passing places legal. Ooooh, and I'd grant Forvik full independence. Then close the border and have a Fast Patrol Boat permanently stationed off Forviks' coast to ensure no illegal immigration or trade with Shetland took place. I also have plans to convert the Viking bus station into a free White Lightning and Buckie bar for shouty people in baseball caps. shetlandppl, gafynandrew and unlinkedstudent 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) How many council workers does it take to change a lightbulb.... http://www.shetnews.co.uk/images/igallery/resized/101-200/140212_traffic_lights-124-1600-1200-100.jpg (Photo: Shetland News) Nice to see the "cutbacks" in action. Edited February 12, 2014 by Ghostrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchieSquirrel Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 How many council workers does it take to change a lightbulb.... http://www.shetnews.co.uk/images/igallery/resized/101-200/140212_traffic_lights-124-1600-1200-100.jpg (Photo: Shetland News) Nice to see the "cutbacks" in action. Oh yeah, saw that on Facebook. Unfortunately, the photo was a little uncompressed and it didn't look too clear to see as it was just five or six bright yellow jackets with a dull, black background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafynandrew Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If I were a councillor, I would think about where the cutbacks and savings really do need to be. Right now, the council are just stabbing in the dark trying their best to improve finances by cutting sources which are/were desperate for Shetland's communities. I would say if they had enough money, they should add another lane for the road at Tingwall valley, re-organise the interior in Sumburgh airport (the stairs are such a waste of space - why was it there in the first place?) and decide upon what schools need to be shut (like Skerries). Many years ago now my Grand uncle, Andy Irvine offered the council enough land (for free) to put a 2 lane road around the back of the lochs so that the current valley road was left to the crofters up and down the valley for moving livestock and machinery without the fear of causing an accident or holding up traffic in the valley. They turned him down as I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fistrail Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If you wear a Bright Yellow Jacket does it mean you work for the S.I.C ? .it was a company up from south called Siemens that done the electrics . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 ^ Blame the Shetland News, it was them that started it. Everything that's printed in the "papers" is perfectly accurate....right?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
north Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 That'll be a cost effective repair, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staney Dale Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 ^ Blame the Shetland News, it was them that started it. Playground rhetoric. Unworthy of you, Ghostrider. You can do better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post owre-weel Posted February 13, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Unfortunately our council with all it's vast staffing levels, still need to bring up teams from south to carry out repairs. As I've said before get rid of these seat polishers and employ folk who can get out and do the job. Surely someone could be trained to maintain these lights locally ? Back to topic. Noo if I was a councilor I would take a long hard look at every position in the council and have a bloomin good clear out. In my opinion many of these jobs do nothing more than create additional work. We need staff out doing jobs, not sitting in offices, building their own little empires. yuiop, Heimdal and CrunchieSquirrel 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjasga Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Unfortunately our council with all it's vast staffing levels, still need to bring up teams from south to carry out repairs. As I've said before get rid of these seat polishers and employ folk who can get out and do the job. Surely someone could be trained to maintain these lights locally ? I imagine companies like Siemens aren't too keen to share the expertise required. Given how unreliable these things seem to be, it makes more sense for them to have the maintenance contracts than to provide relatively unprofitable training. Back to topic. Noo if I was a councilor I would take a long hard look at every position in the council and have a bloomin good clear out. In my opinion many of these jobs do nothing more than create additional work. We need staff out doing jobs, not sitting in offices, building their own little empires. Who would be responsible for assessing that and delivering the clear out? Sounds like creating additional work to me... Edited February 13, 2014 by hjasga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 ^ Blame the Shetland News, it was them that started it.Playground rhetoric. Unworthy of you, Ghostrider. You can do better. That's as may be.... but the SIC isn't worth anything better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Back to topic. Noo if I was a councilor I would take a long hard look at every position in the council and have a bloomin good clear out. In my opinion many of these jobs do nothing more than create additional work. We need staff out doing jobs, not sitting in offices, building their own little empires. Who would be responsible for assessing that and delivering the clear out? Sounds like creating additional work to me... Obviously it would create a little short term additional work, but that and more would quickly be claimed back from savings through the deletion of un-necessary posts and the adoption of more cost effective work practices. The Management/Admin of the entire Council needs redesigning from top to bottom, it needs a CEO as a link between elected members and workforce, and someplace for the buck to stop, it also needs front line staff adequate to deliver services to end users. What it has in between the two should be the absolute bare minimum of both staff and admin practices, as every un-necessary penny "lost" to that morass is a penny lost from us who have to pay it, the public, and a penny we, the public, get nothing back in return for. In general I abhor the use of Consultants by the council, as it is my belief that all unless for highly specialist issues a better job could be done "in house", but this is one time I will make an exception. Someone needs to be brought in from outside who has no axe to grind, and tasked with redesigning every aspect of the management and admin of the SIC from a blank page, not based on anything that already is, but rather based on what the council wishes to achieve. 'In house' simply cannot perform such a task without bias or preconceptions, on the basis that turkeys won't vote for Christmas. As for anyone subscribing to Cluness' infamous bull about the "council having a responsiility to provide employment" or words to that effect. What absolute crap, the council by default of who and what it is will provide some employment, but that's a fortunate coincidence as a spin off to their sole role, providing adequate public services to Shetland for the lowest cost and in a cost effective manner. Honestly, the man sounded like a rabid 70's militant miners leader's "never mind there's no work for these people, they're on the books so a "job" must be found for them" rhetoric, when he said that. If he'd said everyone in Shetland must buy only from Shetland shops as they had a responsibility to provide employment, there would have been outcry, yet both amount to the same thing. unlinkedstudent and brian.smith 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owre-weel Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Unfortunately our council with all it's vast staffing levels, still need to bring up teams from south to carry out repairs. As I've said before get rid of these seat polishers and employ folk who can get out and do the job. Surely someone could be trained to maintain these lights locally ? I imagine companies like Siemens aren't too keen to share the expertise required. Given how unreliable these things seem to be, it makes more sense for them to have the maintenance contracts than to provide relatively unprofitable training.It's a circuit board, once installed, I'm sure they could carry a spare so the faulty one can be sent south if required. It has to be cheaper than having to pay groups of folk to come up here to constantly fix the lights. The cost of bringing these companies up here is likely to be considerably more than training someone local. Your not a seat polisher by any chance are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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