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December 4, 2006
Work practices
There is a comment from Martyn to the entry containing Mark Field's speech to the PLA conference. I have brought it up here in the hope that it provokes a discussion:
"Mark Field's analysis is correct except in the inference in his opening paragraph about the workforce being unwilling to accept new practices. Library staff have accepted wide-ranging changes to their working practices, although without the financial compensation that usually accompanies such changes in other industries. In fact the rates of renumeration have failed to keep up with the cost of living (except at senior levels). The real problem is a widespread decline in staff moral and motivation stemming from continual managerial change and "service restructuring" which in some counties is almost continual."
Posted by Tim Coates at December 4, 2006 9:05 AM
Comments
I think what Mark was referring to in general are the "behind the scenes" activities. He cites them as important because they appear to have been largest factor dominating the increase of percentage of funding spent on staff costs.
What is needed is a breakdown of staff costs that everybody would accept: front-line; back office; management; stock procurement etc - so that we can see how they vary from council to council and how it changes over time. Then it would be clearer where the problems lie.
Posted by: Tim at December 4, 2006 9:14 AM