GSD asks Govt about AA plans

The GSD has asked the Gibraltar Government to provide clarification on its plans for the Administrative Assistant posts in the Civil Service that were opened for applications before the general election.

The party questioned whether or not the Government planned to press and appoint a large number of AAs, or whether the plans had been shelved.

The party said it is clear that the public services have been tested and put under pressure in very difficult and strained circumstances during the Covid-19 public health crisis, including the redeployment of public servants to other departments.

And whilst the efficient delivery of public services must continue to be a priority, the Covid-19 pandemic has put Gibraltar’s public finances under increasing strain with a necessary reassessment of priorities because of economic sustainability and affordability in the current climate, the GSD said.

The GSD’s Elliott Phillips added: "Covid-19 has placed very significant pressures on the delivery of public services and we ask that the Government be clear with the Civil Service, and those many people who would have been applied for those jobs, by unequivocally stating whether or not the Government has now withdrawn the invitations for applications in the Grade of Administrative Assistants.”

“We appreciate that there is a difficult balancing act in ensuring that the Civil Service has the appropriate level of human resources to deliver a strong service to our people against the overall cost of increasing the Government's recurring wage bill.”

“We think it is only right that the expectation of the Civil Service should be appropriately managed so that they can forward plan at every level".