C.E.O Rebellion in Fiji.

Public Service Commission C.E.O- Anare Jale inspecting the assets of Fiji Government's executive housing.

Fiji Public Service Commission the nation's largest employer reneged on their commitement to internal reform, by scrapping the plans
to rotate the C.E.O from their present ministries and posted to a new ministry.

CEO Reshuffle
Source: Fiji Times Thursday, May 25, 2006

Ten of the Governments 23 chief executives will be shifted to other ministries in a move that has angered many of them.

Yesterday Public Service Commission chairman Stuart Huggett said the reshuffle would go ahead despite the objections of the CEOs concerned.

PSC was handed a petition filed by some of the 10 chief executives that are to be transferred from their ministries and departments.

We are going ahead with the reshuffle and the PSC has met them all individually and told them where we would like them to go, in terms of their new ministry, he said.

We also pointed out that under their contract they had a number of options which they could do as CEOs.

Mr Huggett said PSC was now renegotiating with the chief executives concerned over their work in new ministries.

We are not concentrating on the salary but more on their work in the new ministry, he said.

He said there was no concern over how the CEOs would perform in ministries for which they had not initially applied.

Their different qualifications might help better their performance and good management.

He said it was a matter of them having a variety of different experiences as CEOs which could be used in their new ministries.

They are first and foremost managers and with the different experiences and background, this will help in their new ministries, Mr Huggett said.

He said PSC was relieved that no new ministerial portfolios were created by the Government, although certain ministries have been divided.

So even with the increase in the number of ministers, this does not mean that the number of CEOs will increase, Mr Huggett said.

The CEOs will work for the ministries that are currently available.

Mr Huggett said PSC had not worked out the total cost of reshuffle but knew that it would not cost them much to carry out the exercise.

One of the highest paid Government CEOs Jioji Kotobalavu said he was shocked at the extent of the reshuffle of chief executives given the fact that new ministers were arriving.

Mr Kotobalavu said the CEOs were never consulted about the changes and even though its PSCs prerogative to reshuffle them, it was a matter of courtesy to inform them.

I am shocked at the extent of the movement of the CEOs as its important to have these CEOs to be present when their new ministers come in for them to brief them. The timing was bad because they are the ones who know the current state of their ministries and their funds so they could have ensured this to happen, Mr Kotobalavu said.

He said the handing over to the newly appointed ministers would now be done by CEOs who were also new and would not know anything about the new ministries they were in charge of.

Those moving to new positions are Agriculture CEO Luke Ratuvuki to the Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry, Justice CEO Sakiusa Rabuka to the Ministry of Environment and Fijian Affairs CEO Ratu Meli Bainimarama to the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests.

Local Government CEO Cama Tuiloma will move to the new Ministry of Public Utilities & Infrastructure, while Multi Ethnic CEO Apisalome Tudreu will take over Fijian Affairs.

Tourism CEO Napolioni Masirewa moves to the Multi Ethnic portfolio. The new Tourism CEO is Vuetasau Buatoka.

Public Works Department CEO Anasa Vocea takes over from Mr Tuiloa at the Local Government & Urban Development Ministry while Youth Ministrys Poasa Ravea takes over from Mr Rabuka at Justice. Former Lands Ministrys CEO Niumaia Tabunakawai takes over from Mr Ratuvuki at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The CEOs who would assume their old portfolios include Mr Kotobalavu at the PMs Office, Emi Rabukawaqa at Information Ministry, Taito Waqa at the Labour Ministry, Paula Uluinaceva at the Finance Ministry, Pramod Chand at the Public Enterprises Ministry, Doctor Lepani Waqatakirewa at the Health Ministry, Emele Duituturaga at the Womens Ministry, Anare Jale at the Public Service Commission, Isireli Koyamaibole at Commerce Ministry, Lesi Korovavala at Home Affairs, Isikeli Mataitoga at the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Alumita Taganesia at Education Ministry.

The move was stone walled by 4 C.E.O who threatened legal action against the P.S.C; highlighting the resistance to change by the very individuals who are supposed to be the agents of change. Unfortunately these Executives demand the salaries according to international standards of renumeration. Yet, totally forget the responsibilities, work ethics that accompany the position. These glorified Office Manager's are basically C.E.O's in title, but absent in their nature.

The six CEO's opposing their transfer are Anasa Vocea, Sakiusa Rabuka, Apisalome Tudreu, Poasa Ravea, Niumaia Tabukanawai and Ratu Meli Bainimarama. Obviously the respected Ministries performance in 2005-2006 was mediocre at best, perhaps a good indication of their calibre. Most of the incumbents were carryovers from their former positions as Permanent Secretaries, which later was revamped and re-advertised as a Chief Executive Position by the same P.S.C.

Undoubtedly the mess of the C.E.O postion, was derived from the errors of P.S.C, this sentiment was echoed by the Union representative who technically does not represent C.E.O's- because the office of C.E.O is considered Management/Excutive positions, which are not supposed to be unionised in the first place.

CEO's dictate terms to PSC
Source: Fiji Times Friday, May 26, 2006

GOVERNMENT chief executive officers have told the Public Service Commission to pay them out for the rest of their five-year contracts and re-advertise the posts.

The CEOs have two-and-a-half- years left on their contracts.

Fiji Public Service Association said nine of the affected CEOs signed a petition yesterday, delivered to PSC chairman Stuart Huggett and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

Association general secretary Rajeshwar Singh said the CEOs quoted provisions in their individual contracts that prevented PSC from reshuffling them.

He said PSC was unilaterally trying to re-write their contract of employment without giving them a chance of representation.

"As a result, the CEOs have given an ultimatum to the chairman of the commission to consider four options," Mr Singh said.

The options were that PSC pay all CEOs the balance of their contract in full, re-advertise all affected CEO posts after paying them off, that there be no movement of CEOs until new contracts were finalised in writing, and that any new contracts be for five years to cover the proposals by PSC.

Mr Singh said the CEOs were resisting the transfers because their current ministers were not briefed on the change.

Mr Huggett denied he had not received a petition from the CEOs and could not believe the demands when asked to comment.

"It's not unreasonable for them to be moved like that. I can't believe that they are saying that. It's totally ridiculous," Mr Huggett said.

He said the CEOs were reshuffled to make way for the new multi-party Cabinet and the reshuffle of ministries by the Prime Minister.

Mr Huggett said he had informed the CEOs about the reshuffle before it was done.

He said if any of the CEOs had any problems with their contracts and the reshuffle, the PSC was ready to listen to them.

Mr Singh said the dilemma faced by the PSC now was due to its own incompetence two years ago when it decided to contract permanent secretaries.

"We have made several calls and wrote to the Commission not to rush into recruiting CEOs on the contracts and that FPSA wanted to be involved in the change over in the terms and conditions of service from the Master Collective Agreement to a fixed term employment contract," Mr Singh said.

"We hope the Commission has learnt its lesson and that they will in future heed our advice as one of the significant stakeholders in the civil service."

Mr Singh said every time the CEOs demanded additional perks, the PSC would give in to their demands but now the PSC's favourite CEOs had opposed a reshuffle.

Ironically the C.E.O rebellion is icing on the cake from the Fiji Army's persepctive after their demands to remove Home Affairs C.E.O, Lesi Korovalavala was denied by the Public Service Commission.
What goes around, comes around...A lesson that PSC still has not learnt.



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