Perth and Kinross Economic Partnership.

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." - -Fats Domino

Staff morale has plummeted at three of Perthshires biggest employers

Perth and Kinross Council try desperately to convey to the outside world that Perthshire is a thriving, vibrant and successful area. Those of us living here know of course, that this is far removed from the truth. Recent reports in The Courier have highlighted major problems for those employed by Tayside Police, Perth Housing Department and now Perth College.

Tayside Police

In October 2005, two separate articles in The Courier reported criticism of John Vines management of the force by several employees who claimed that there was unrest, bad feeling and that officers were being bullied back to work whilst they were absent through illness or injury.

Several officers have come forward and spoken out about their concerns to the Courier, much of which centres around the reintroduction of the “antiquated seven-day shift system", and Mr Vines creation of the leading constable scheme. There were also claims that officers were being faced with a mountain of paperwork and often having to arrive 2 hours before their shift and remain long after they were due to finish in order to keep on top of the paperwork.

Senior management, the officer said, lacked managerial skills, were politically motivated and interested only in their own gains. NO SURPRISES THERE!!

Our policemen and women already have a very difficult job to do but we need them out on the streets not sitting in offices shuffling bits of paper. How shocking that they should be treated in this way.

Predictably a spokesman for Tayside police refused to comment stating "Tayside Police will not engage in debate with anonymous members of staff through the media."

Comment - they remained anonymous because they are afraid of losing their jobs

Perthshire Housing Department

The Courier also reported that a senior source in the council blamed incompetence and managerial failure for wasting up to £1 million of tax payers money and also revealing that morale levels in the housing department had reached a "dangerous low". Again it was reported that staff are too terrified to speak out against senior management for fear of reprisals.

Comment - Management by fear is outdated, unproductive, unacceptable and will blow up in your face.

Perth College

We now have threats of strike action at Perth College and staff describing themselves as "disillusioned and demotivated", claiming that students’ education is being affected as a result. A spokesperson for the support staff said “Morale at this college is at an all-time low" with claims that "we have loyal staff, some of whom who have been working here for years and earn barely more than minimum wage”.

Comment - minimum wage is pretty much the norm for Perthshire

It was also claimed “We are teaching a huge range of students from school kids to degree level. They will become the professionals and entrepreneurs of the future, yet we cannot achieve a tradesman’s wage. This situation must be improved for the sake the local economy. Staff are becoming disillusioned and demotivated and, as a result, the students’ education is suffering.”

Comment - it must be pretty depressing knowing also that these students will have little hope of a career or future in Perthshire because there is no decent employment here.

"Work is the true elixir of life. The busiest man is the happiest man. Excellence in any art or profession is attained only by hard and persistent work. Never believe that you are perfect. When a man imagines, even after years of striving, that he has attained perfection, his decline begins." -Sir Theodore Martin