Question

Write for yourself a simple sentence that describes the difference between Civil Service (Merit System) and Collective Bargaining. Then write a sentence that demonstrates your understanding of the conflicts that can arise between politically appointed executives and the Career Civil Service

Answer 1

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: It is a voluntary process between worker and the employer in order to jointly or amicably arrive at decisions or agreements pertaining to the contract of employment or conditions of service.

CIVIL SERVICE(MERIT SYSTEM): The merit system is the process of promoting and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job,rather than on their political connections.

The Conflicts that arise between politically appointed executives and the Career Civil Service are:

1) Violation of neutrality principle: Many civil servants are seen as affiliated to one or the other political party.

2)Advisory Role of Civil servants in policy making: Civil servants have to make a trade-off between opposing goals such as long term social payoffs versus short term political executive.

3)Interference in the statutory roles of the civil servants: Senior functionaries, both in civil services as well as elected executives,put pressure on the civil servants which leads to friction between them.

4)Principle of subsidiarity is not followed: By this principle, power should be delegated, but due to ministerial responsibility , there is an increasing tendency in government departments to centralize authority and interfere in decision making.

5)Appointments/Transfers and postings of civil servants: Arbitrary and questionable methods of appointments, promotions and transfers of officers by political superiors lead to corrosion of the moral basis of independence of civil servants.