MPs call for fairness in public service recruitment

MERIT:Why fairplay must reignLawmakers on Monday evening told officials of the Public Service Commission (PSC) that more efforts were required in ensuring fairness in the public service, especially in recruitment processes.The call was made during the presentation of the PSC 2010/2011 report to a joint parliamentary session.The PSC found that in most districts, employees do not have required papers and cites possible favoritism during recruitment as the cause.Responding to numerous MPs queries, the PSC chairman Bonaventure Niyibizi, admitted one reason why there was constant turnover in public service was because of poor staff management.“Usually, it is wage related issues that are mentioned, but most often, it is also due to poor management of staff whereby an employee feels unhappy and not motivated. One of the things we do is teaching laws governing workers,” he said.Hon. Nura Nikuze, acknowledged the progress and achievements by the commission in its duties but noted that more should be done to ensure that job seekers have a level playing field.Nikuze said that she had heard complaints from the public who claim that they are disadvantaged when only English is used during job interviews.“Another issue I wish to raise is a question of equality whereby it appears women continue to be fewer in competition for jobs. There are places in districts’ management where you cannot find a single woman,” he said.Winifried Niyitegeka raised concerns over the fact that the commission had indicated that employment competition reports from districts are usually not comprehensive. “I would like to know – is this caused by a lack of will in which they intend to hide facts or is it because they do not have guidelines on proper reporting?” she wondered.Lawmakers also sought to know the impact of a new directive requiring job interviews in the public service to be recorded so as to curb unfairness. Constance Rwaka Mukayuhi said: “I also want to return to the issue of employees’ capacity, because it is a crucial issue if work is to be done properly. How is the commission collaborating with the Ministry of Education to ensure that we have the appropriate skills”?She told the Assembly that she was against the notion of job seekers, especially university graduates, being denied chances for employment just because they lack necessary work experience. Her view was that public institutions should recruit fresh graduates and then train them on the job because that is the only way the latter will gain experience.On issues highlighted in the AG’s report, Pelagie Mukantaganzwa suggested that employees who mess things up in some institutions not be allowed to freely move to other public institutions.But Niyibizi stressed that job satisfaction is one critical reason why a worker can stay at a job. On injustice and other issues, the PSC Executive Secretary, Angelina Muganza, admitted they were major challenges.She explained that the public service recruitment law had been revised twice, ever since the PSC was established four years ago to make recruitment processes more efficient.Muganza said that whenever cases of unfairness are discovered, the commission requests institutions in charge to reverse the situation in favour of the worker.On gender balance in recruitment, she reminded the House that the law requires that selection be based on marks, and special consideration only be done when a man and a woman get equal marks.Muganza said other considerations are taken care of by guiding standards of particular institutions and their leaders, and in conformity with the law.

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MPs call for fairness in public service recruitment