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Public sector 'should learn from recession' as spending cuts loom
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the public sector to use the lessons learned from the private sector's experience of the recession, as Government departments prepare for the unprecedented spending cuts announced in the Emergency Budget.
Speaking ahead of the CBI's Business Summit on workforce issues, the organisation advised that flexible working and employee engagement played an essential role in minimising redundancies among the private sector during the recession.
Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, said, 'The employment relations landscape has changed dramatically because of the recession. When industrial unrest might have been considered inevitable, instead we saw private sector employers and staff working together to find ways to cut costs and safeguard jobs'.
Mr Lambert said that good communication and cooperation between public sector employees and unions should help to avoid the potential for industrial action.
A recent survey conducted by the CBI revealed that 91% of employers communicated with their staff regarding the impact of the recession, and that as a result 87% of businesses believe that staff understood the need to make change to their working patterns, while 56% showed a 'flexible attitude' to change.