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Letters: Your Say Temporaries too permanentEditor, About time is all I can say in response to this story (Union push for PS job security, 31 January 2012). I am flabbergasted that its taken so long for the ramifications of having so many long term contract (or temporary) workers in the sector. The insecurity for workers impacts not only on their financial security but also on their morale - as most contractors are not paid the equivalent wage for their work as permanent staff are, and additionally do not get paid for any type of leave provisions. They feel undervalued and burnt out. I have been with the Ministry of Health for 5 years - yes that’s 5 years - as a contractor in the same position and am still waiting for my role to be recruited. During this time I have won the Staff Excellence Award and have managed a number of high profile and successful project. However, I haven’t had a decent holiday in all this time and only have a sick day if I am on death's door - surely this can't be the type of conditions our State government wants for its workers! R NSW Health  Editor, Everything sounds rather fine except I personally doubt your independence (Kenya: Pay review to tackle disparities, International, 31 January 2012). Asking downtrodden workers for patience while you put systems in place sounds like a statement coming from a Government Minister, it is simply asking for too much. The word here is urgency. This salaries issue is more critical than most people imagine and, as they say, it’s the wearer of the shoe who knows where it pinches the most. M Lokichogio Kenya Editor, The “cultural” issues that are stopping an increase in telework within the PS stem from old school management and a focus on hours worked over outputs achieved (New week to encourage working from home, 24 January 2012). Even departments with telecommuting policies make the process so difficult that it is impractical for most people who would actually benefit from such an arrangement. Telecommuting needs to be a flexible option and currently flexibility is not part of the policies around these arrangements. If part of your job is basic data entry/data matching with very little outside interaction then it should not matter which specific hours you are at the desk performing the role, it should allow for a parent (for example) to get 3 or 4 hours done at 5 in the morning before their child’s day starts and complete the day at 7 at night once the other parent is home. But currently they want a 9-5 day at your desk. Flexibility and a change in the management culture is required for any real take up of telework to commence. J Queensland Treasury Editor, The Minister said more needed to be done to ‘break down the stigma, discrimination and misunderstanding that surrounded mental illness’ (Mental health plan for public comment, 24 January 2012). I do not assign “stigmas.” Governments have in the past so Butler assigning one is not unusual, except that this is the 21st century. If we are to end the discrimination and misunderstandings, on whom should we rely but higher education? If it is not informing us, should we not demand it do so? Harold A. Maio Mental Health Editor United States Editor, Greg Donohue writes a passionate piece about overpopulation, but he could do with a better grasp of demographic statistics (Environmental elephants, Talking Point, 24 January 2012). If he had one, he wouldn’t be so worried. Although the graph of global population he describes looks pretty scary, it’s because it isn’t on a logarithmic scale. In reality, population growth is slowing dramatically and the world will top out at around 9 billion in around 2050. What’s driving this is the continual fall in the Total Fertility Rate, the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. The CIA measured it at 2.56 in 2010 and 2.46 in 2011. It has been falling rapidly for decades and, once it reaches 2.0, future population falls are locked in. 9 billion people is still too many for our planet to maintain indefinitely, but if we abandon an economic model that implies endless growth, we’ll have enough resources to sustain ourselves while the population decreases to a sustainable level. And I’ll be watching keenly for the 2012 Total Fertility Rate. Greg P Australian Bureau of Statistics Editor, Eugen you were too slow (Public Transport Complex, Features, 24 January, 2012). Don’t give up, but next time as soon as you see the problem, calmly guide the old lady to the seat, and say politely to the young seated people, ...“excuse me, can you please make room for this lady?” By waiting, you got angry, and no-one felt good as a result of your outburst, least of all you and the old lady. When it comes to school kids who won’t offer to stand, if they have a logo on a bag or blaster, I have been known to phone the school or email the principal - works wonders. Jan B Queensland Eugene Bacon writes on an experience that we all have had in one form or another - how to confront a situation where civility is taking a back-seat (Public Transport Complex, Features, 24 January, 2012). Eugene had a go at some people, then feels bad about it. Bugger that mate! If people are acting in a poor fashion, and if you are so inclined then I say speak up! Have a go at them, tell them exactly what you think. If it is considered rude, who cares? If they cannot handle it, who cares? We all seem to have fallen into this ‘don’t look, don’t say anything’ mode. What a load of rubbish. I regularly have a shot at people, including myself! Life is about living, and a little reflection (self-induced or rude-bastard-induced) can be a good thing. And if a few people realise they are being uncivil, then a few of them might change. Good on you Eugene - get stuck into a few more people. But one SERIOUS caution - do be aware of your own safety. While a few stern words will work on some, others will react in very, very dangerous ways. Tony L Defence 
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