NI water chief jumps ship after 6 months.

NAR

Is it not the situation that there is far more maintenance work to be undertaken than the current workforce can cope with? Therefore it makes sense to outsource some of the additional work to get the work satisfactorily completed for the least amount of money possible. This does not necessarily result in redundancies.

oldhand

NAR wrote: »

Is it not the situation that there is far more maintenance work to be undertaken than the current workforce can cope with? Therefore it makes sense to outsource some of the additional work to get the work satisfactorily completed for the least amount of money possible. This does not necessarily result in redundancies.

Much of the work required is the result of massive underfunding by successive governments over many years.NIWS (formerly DOE) had an excellent skilled workforce but in the mid 90s the budget was again cut and savings made (they thought) by outsourcing a lot of the work,such as septic tank emptying,desilting sewers,then Hi pressure jetting to clear blocked sewers and water burst repairs.At the time it was proposed that in house tendering would happen and to a small extent it did.However for much of the tendering the inhouse people were fighting with one arm tied behind their back.This was because both the inhouse tendering people and water service knew what it cost them to do the work correctly with properly qualified men and using proper equipment.Outside contractors had no such restraints which saw them tender with absurd prices to win the contract which they then failed to complete.One memorable tender was to supply a digger with driver,the contractor who won priced it at £6 per hour WITH driver.Under the contract the digger was supposed to be available at a particular depot for 8 hours per day as required.However that digger would be used by the contractor on various other jobs in the area which had nothing to do with DOE and many time when it was needed DOE people would wait hours on it turning up.You may ask why did noone say anything? people did complain but the standard answer was "its being looked into" but in reality too many managers at all levels were taken out for their xmas dinners and brown envelopes to change anything.

NAR

oldhand wrote: »

but in reality too many managers at all levels were taken out for their xmas dinners and brown envelopes to change anything.

Mmm a very serious accusation; can you back that up with facts?

Agree about years of serious underfunding though and not only in the water industry.

oldhand

NAR wrote: »

Mmm a very serious accusation; can you back that up with facts?

Agree about years of serious underfunding though and not only in the water industry.

Yes wouldnt it be wonderful to do a "water gate" with the "waterservice" The contractors and their way of working were very plain to see to any who cared to look,however even to outsiders it should be plain to see.Next time you come across a burst watermain or notice sewerage coming from a manhole watch how long it takes to have it looked at and repaired.In the case of the water burst when DOE personnel were responsible they would turn up very quickly,do the excavation,repair the pipe,reinstate the road and be gone.Now private contractor is notified of burst in such and such a place,terms of their contract say they must inspect it within 48 hours.They inspect it and go away but will not send a squad to repair it for at least 2 days more in the hope another burst occurs in the same area which can get 2 jobs done with the same squad,(saving manpower) Next when they do turn up and unearth the burst if its just a split in the pipe its usually fixed by fitting a VJ collar over the split and refill the hole.However the contractor will have the squad unearth the pipe to its full length (10 metre) and replace that,by doing so incur more time+costs=profit.After the road is filled in again you will see signs placed round it for at least 2 more days before the same squad will return to reinstate it again at extra time+costs.

chunter

Did i hear Water NI got 500,000 leaflets printed only to find they'd left out a digit of the phone number?