A new policy aimed at ensuring the Civil Service fully complies with employment equality legislation was launched today by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy.
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Mr McCreevy launches
Diversity in the Civil Serviceat the Department of Finance offices today
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Diversity in the Civil Service
is designed to create work practices that ensures equal treatment for all current and prospective employees. It covers issues such as race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and gender. The policy is part of the Civil Service Strategic Management Intiative begun in 1996.
Mr McCreevy said at today’s launch: "The Civil Service is the biggest employer in Ireland and it is particularly important that it maintains a workplace culture which guarantees equality of opportunity for staff and also respects diversity."
In a comment that will be noted by civil servants - many of whom are unhappy at the outcome of benchmarking, Mr McCreevy said a new action programme aimed at modernising the Service was being developed in consultation with unions.
The Government has said the full implementation of benchmarking is contingent on achieving greater efficiencies throughout public services. But lower grades within the service did not fare as well as more senior positions from the process.
The general secretary of the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU), Mr Blair Horan, warned the Government of "a hot autumn" at the 10,000-strong union’s annual conference in May. And the union’s executive council rejected the benchmarking findings last week.
Mr McCreevy said the initiative was part of a wider reform of the Civil Service and he made reference to concerns about the position of women who make up 80 per cent of the Civil Service. He said: "The simple fact is that, while the majority of civil servants are women, they are under-represented at senior levels in Government departments." He said the initiatives on gender equality had been launched in September in response to the problem.
"The new policy on diversity, together with the gender equality policy, shows staff that the wider reform and modernsiation process will help change the way departments are managed," he concluded.