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Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
'No career, no friends, no way out: Is the government sector a dead end?'
SINGAPORE: In the corridors of a government bureau, an employee sits gaping vacantly at the computer screen. Around, co-workers chatter over cups of steaming coffee, while others scroll through their phones nonchalantly. In the silence, a digital clamour is posted to Reddit: 'Anyone else miserable working in the government sector?' It was a question that hit a nerve with several fellow public servants and netizens. The original poster depicted a drab picture — a noxious workplace where gossip is currency, ambition is castigated, and people turn on others in a frantic clamber for limited prospects. 'Some in my department don't even pretend to look busy,' the poster bewailed. 'They openly play games on their phones. Others spend half the day gossiping… Information is weaponised. I don't have a single friend here, and I trust no one.' However, most hurtful was the comparison to peers in the private sector: 'Most of my friends earn several times more. Their grind feels worth it. I'm so jealous of my friend who resigned without a job lined up—she could afford to. I feel stuck here forever.' A familiar struggle What ensued was a torrent of reactions; a few were compassionate, others critical, but all profoundly expressive of the current public service experience. 'It sounds like a localised issue,' one netizen said. 'There are government departments where work overflows and people are swamped.' Another, more battle-hardened from experience, offered his opinion without the euphemisms: 'I've worked in three different agencies and all of them burnt me out mentally and physically. If you're pushing for promotion, you're in the rat race, but if you want to earn more, you need to get out. Government experience may not translate well to the private sector. It's your call.' For many, the sentiment was that the 'iron rice bowl,' a rewording for job security in the public sector, comes with its veiled risks. 'Sure, it's stable,' one commenter said. 'But it's an iron bowl on boiling water.' Is the grass greener? As the poster's observation triggered arguments, an obvious theme surfaced — the legend of the 'better' sector. See also AI may impact high-skilled professional jobs the most in SG 'Private sector may not necessarily be better,' several Redditors pointed out. 'You could be overworked and underpaid. At least here, you're underpaid but not overworked!' For the others, the stress-free pace of government work was a secret blessing: 'It's good to have little to do and still be earning income, lol.' However, not everyone viewed it that way. Others talked of government jobs with overwhelming assignments, extreme KPIs, and diminutive recognition. 'I work in the public sector too,' one netizen joined. 'It's always so busy for us—I wonder what line of work you're in!' The real enemy — disillusionment Underneath the opinions over workload, compensation, and status lies something more profound — disillusionment. The original poster's disappointment and misery aren't just about cash or toxic colleagues; it's about that sense of being trapped in a system where work devotion and trustworthiness don't result in progress, and effort doesn't always equate to reward and promotions. 'Even the scholars don't make as much as those in the private sector,' the original poster wrote. 'But at least they have the prestige.' Why am I staying? What would it take to leave? The thread echoed a universal truth — workplace unhappiness isn't exclusive to any one segment. Office politics, exhaustion, and inertia can be found in both public and private realms. What's important is positioning one's values with the environment, and not being scared of re-evaluating one's path. The original poster may still be at that solitary small table. But in expressing his frustrations online, he has kindled an unpretentious and candid dialogue, one that might help others ask the same tough question: Why do I stay? And what would it take to leave?
The Herald
09-07-2025
- General
- The Herald
Programme launched to upskill public servants in human settlements sector
News Premium By Faith Mtwana - 09 July 2025 The Eastern Cape human settlements department, in partnership with Nelson Mandela University, has launched a short learning programme aimed at equipping public servants with specialised knowledge in the human settlements sector. The programme, the first of its kind in the province, is specially designed for municipal office workers, councillors, politicians and traditional leaders who are directly involved in housing and service delivery...
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Labor defends $1.5m climate summit junket
Labor has defended sending dozens of public servants to a major climate summit last year at a taxpayer-covered cost of $1.5m. Seventy-five public servants from seven departments and agencies were on the junket to Azerbaijan for COP29 – the UN's flagship climate conference. They attended at an average cost of $20,000 per head, The Australian revealed. Speaking to media on Tuesday, Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth said it was 'really important' Australia was represented at the summit. 'I mean, countries across the world attend with their officials,' the Employment and Workplace Relations Minister told Nine. Pressed on whether 75 officials were needed, she said the delegation was being unfairly scrutinised. Ms Rishworth said former Coalition prime minister Scott Morrison 'also attended with a large contingent of public servants'. 'But we are looking to bid to host COP, actually, in Adelaide,' she said. 'And so this is important that we put our best foot forward. 'But it is not true to suggest governments of other stripes also haven't sent large numbers of public servants to COP.' The revelation came amid concerns Labor has been too loose with the public purse. The Coalition has often blamed government spending for driving inflation – a position not shared by the Reserve Bank, which has cut interest rates on the back of shrinking inflation. Appearing opposite Ms Rishworth, opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said he was not convinced 75 public servants were needed. 'Did we really need to send 75 public servants from seven different government departments and agencies, two ministers and their staff, at a cost of $1.6 million at a time when Australians couldn't pay their rising electricity bills and emissions under this government are actually up, not down?' he asked. 'I mean, this is a talk fest which achieved nothing except … a climate junket for politicians and bureaucrats.' COP summits are the main opportunity for governments to agree global action on climate change and often set legally binding commitments for partaking countries. These commitments help shape energy and economic policies in Australia and around the world. Most of the public servants that attended COP29 were from Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The departments sent 42 and 25 representatives respectively. The national science agency, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry and Department of Finance all sent two each. The prudential watchdog and Department of Health and Aged Care also sent one each.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- The Independent
More than 100 public servants who died in service awarded Elizabeth Emblem
More than 100 public servants who died in service have been recognised by the awarding of an Elizabeth Emblem. The award is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack. In the second list of Elizabeth Emblem recipients, some 106 police officers, firefighters, overseas workers and other public servants who died in service were recognised, with the award given to their next of kin. Among the recipients is Metropolitan Police Constable Nina Mackay, who died aged 25 after being stabbed by a violent and mentally unstable man while searching a property in Stratford, East London in October 1997. Her mother, Patricia Mackay, 80, said Nina had a 'great social conscience', adding 'everybody liked working with her because she was very hard working'. She told the PA news agency: 'The Metropolitan Police have awarded her many accolades, and the commissioner at the time, just after she was killed, recommended her for the George Medal, which was turned down. 'So after all these years, there's actually something tactile that I can hold.' Discussing the memorials to her daughter, Ms Mackay, who lives in Nairn, Scotland, said: 'She's got the Targa Boat on the Thames that's named after her, and that will be ongoing forever. The street where it happened was changed to Nina Mackay Close. 'There's been so much that I'm very grateful for, but this will actually be something tactile that I could hold to remind me what a brave young woman she was.' Another recipient was school teacher Gwen Mayor, 45, who was killed in 1996 while protecting her pupils at Dunblane Primary School, Scotland, during a mass shooting. In a statement provided by her husband, Rodney Mayor, who now lives in Cyprus, the Mayor family said they were 'extremely proud and honoured to be receiving this award on behalf of Gwen'. They added: 'We always believed her actions that day deserved more recognition. 'You would have to have known Gwen to know that she would have done whatever trying to protect the children in her care. She paid the ultimate price for that commitment. 'Finally, we now feel that she has been honoured for what happened that day.' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said: 'We owe an enduring debt to the public servants who give their lives to protect others. 'The Elizabeth Emblem is a reminder not just of the ultimate price their loved ones have paid in service of our communities, it is a lasting symbol of our national gratitude for their incredible sacrifice.' Firefighter John Liptrott, who died in 1968 while attempting to rescue three children who had entered a disused mineshaft, was also awarded the Emblem. Another recipient was Police Constable Dennis Cowell, who died in the River Thames in 1965 after a police launch capsized following a collision between three boats. Six people who contracted Covid-19 while working in healthcare were recognised in the list. These included Dr Poornima Nair Balupuri, a GP living in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, who died in 2020 doing frontline work. Some 33 people on the list were police officers and firefighters based in Northern Ireland, including Constable Cyril Wilson, who was shot by the IRA in an ambush in 1974. Reserve Constable Robert Struthers, who died in 1978 while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, was also awarded the Emblem – he was shot by two members of the Provisional IRA while working in his office. The design of the Elizabeth Emblem incorporates a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, which surrounds the Tudor Crown. It is inscribed with 'For A Life Given In Service' and will have the name of the person for whom it is in memoriam inscribed on the reverse of the Emblem. The Emblem will also include a pin to allow the award to be worn on clothing by the next of kin of the deceased. Families and next of kin of those who have died in public service are able to apply for an Elizabeth Emblem by making an application to the Cabinet Office. The Elizabeth Emblem is awarded to the next of kin of a person who was employed in a role based on the source of a commission on behalf of, or formally funded by, an eligibility body. An eligible body is defined as the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Northern Ireland Executive, local government, a Crown Dependency or a British Overseas Territory. The award of the Elizabeth Emblem is retrospective to 1948 and mirrors the eligibility criteria for the Elizabeth Cross.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Selfless bravery of teacher honoured, 29 years on from Dunblane horror that shocked the world
She sacrificed her life to save the lives of her young pupils during the worst mass shooting on British soil. Now Gwen Mayor has been honoured for her selfless actions during the Dunblane massacre almost 30 years ago. The 45-year-old teacher was killed along with 16 children in 1996 when a gunman burst into Dunblane Primary School in what is Britain's deadliest shooting. The mother-of-two died while trying to protect her class of five and six-year-olds from Thomas Hamilton. Her husband Rodney Mayor, now 81, said he was 'extremely proud' of the woman he married in 1972. Mr Mayor said: 'She went to work as a teacher, you would expect her to come home, but she didn't. Neither did 16 of the children. 'You would have had to have known Gwen to know that this is what she would have done - she'd have done anything to protect these children in her care. 'The fact that she was shot six times meant she obviously, as far as we're concerned, she must have put some resistance up to try and prevent him doing what he did. 'We will never know, really, what happened in the gym. The fact she was shot so many times, you just can't comprehend.' She is among eight public servants in Scotland to be honoured. Firefighter Ewan Williamson, who died while responding to a pub fire in Edinburgh in July 2009, is also recognised, as is Rod Moore, a retired paramedic from Falkirk who returned to work with the Scottish Ambulance Service during Covid and then contracted the virus, dying in November 2020. William Oliver, a worker with the Glasgow Salvage Corps who died in the Cheapside Street disaster in 1960, is also included in what is only the second list of Elizabeth Emblem recipients. He was killed as a blaze ripped through a warehouse that contained more than one million gallons of whisky and 30,000 gallons of rum - with the temperature causing casks to rupture, leading to a huge boiling liquid vapour explosion which claimed his life and that of 18 others. Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said Britain owes an 'enduring debt to the public servants who gave their lives to protect others' and the Elizabeth Emblem was a 'lasting symbol of our national gratitude for their incredible sacrifice'. Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, said: 'Every one of these brave public servants gave their life to protect others. 'They are people who stepped forward when most of us would step back, and they paid the ultimate price. 'I am particularly pleased that Dunblane teacher Gwen Mayor has been recognised. 'No-one will ever forget the horror of the shooting at Dunblane Primary School in 1996, when Mrs Mayor was killed trying to protect her pupils.' The Elizabeth Emblem was established last year as a national form of recognition, with the award given to the next of kin of public servants who have lost their lives as a result of their duty. The honour is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack. Also being recognised is firefighter Roderick Nicolson, who died in December 1995 after becoming trapped in five tonnes of sodium carbonate ash while attempting to rescue two workmen from a silo of chemical dust at Perth Harbour. Two Scottish police officers - Pc Paul North and Pc Joseph Stewart Drake - killed in the line of duty are also being recognised As is Alastair Soutar, who worked for HM Customs and Excise and was crushed while taking part in an operation to catch drug smugglers off the Caithness coast in July 1996. The aftermath of the Dunblane massacre sparked a debate on gun control, leading to the Cullen Report in 1996. It led to a public campaign, known as the Snowdrop Petition, which helped bring about legislation which prohibited the private ownership of most handguns. Now, only muzzle-loading and historic handguns are legal, as well as certain sporting handguns. The gymnasium at the school was demolished in April 1996 and replaced by a memorial garden.
