Quacks Like A Duck
For years there has been much talk of local councils in Scotland working together - across council boundaries - to provide more efficient local services.
The argument goes that in lots of areas - such as running the payroll - it makes no sense for every council to have their own payroll service - with all the duplication of time effort, and money that this involves, particularly in smaller councils.
So why not bang a few heads together - and create a vehicle that can deliver a good service across council boundaries.
Which has the added advantage of freeing-up scarce resources to be spent on other, more important things - such as education or care of the elderly?
Simple you might say - and you'd be right - in theory at least.
Because the weekend papers brought the predictable news that the trade unions - or one of them at least - say this is a bad idea.
Unison has apparently issued a 'document' to the press which says that the business case for sharing services - does not stack up.
Which sounds like the voice of vested interests speaking out loud and clear.
Because sharing services is just common sense to most people - and would concentrate scarce resources where they are most needed.
Maybe Unison will hold a conference and tell us all why something that walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - is really not a duck at all.
The argument goes that in lots of areas - such as running the payroll - it makes no sense for every council to have their own payroll service - with all the duplication of time effort, and money that this involves, particularly in smaller councils.
So why not bang a few heads together - and create a vehicle that can deliver a good service across council boundaries.
Which has the added advantage of freeing-up scarce resources to be spent on other, more important things - such as education or care of the elderly?
Simple you might say - and you'd be right - in theory at least.
Because the weekend papers brought the predictable news that the trade unions - or one of them at least - say this is a bad idea.
Unison has apparently issued a 'document' to the press which says that the business case for sharing services - does not stack up.
Which sounds like the voice of vested interests speaking out loud and clear.
Because sharing services is just common sense to most people - and would concentrate scarce resources where they are most needed.
Maybe Unison will hold a conference and tell us all why something that walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - is really not a duck at all.
