Question

Are all public services essential? Based on your answer, what would be the most appropriate dispute resolution procedures for people in the following occupations:

firefighting and maintenance

Answer 1

While there is a movement for the last several decades to privatize most of the organized workforce, and productive capacity, there are also certain things that need to be Public.

Privatization of several industries, which were erstwhile - completely government owned , was due to certain reasons. The government run ventures had lower profits, and at times slower response times, had beaurocracy and red-tapism, and overall the Licence- based scheme of working , was not yielding the productivity that the changing economic landscape was demanding.

The consumers wanted better products faster, and with the advent of globalization - this led to privatization of even certain risky industries, that were of national / public importance.

However, there always would need to be a place for Public Services. The very definition of Public service is that it is available mostly free of cost, and it is not to be run as a business, but more as a service utility that is made available to the public at large.

For instance if we take the case of Firefighters it would be unthinkable to privatize the entire division. It would then require a profit motive. There are chances that the fire department would then be deployed at a cost, and only to the highest bidder. Such scenarios are extremely risky, and are detrimental to the welfare state, and could lead to civil discord.

Similarly the Maitenance department should always be public works. There needs to be a free and fair maitenance department undertaking civil work in all parts of the country, on tax payer dollar, without prejudice to who and where the consumers of such utility come from. It is essential to make it public, since that is what every country ultimately seeks to protect and uphold - the welfare of the general population.