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| And From the World in Brief... IRELAND The Irish Minister for Public Expenditure, Brendan Howlin has defended €250 million ($A310 million) worth of public sector pay increments. Mr Howlin said the increments were a fairer way of controlling public pay and questioned why they had become the subject of public debate. He said half of all increments were paid to those on clerical office grades earning an average of €22,000 ($A310,500) a year. HUNGARY A new Hungarian university, specifically for Public servants, has been officially opened by Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. The university was founded last March through the merger of the Zrinyi Miklos Defence University, the Police Officers College and the Faculty of Economics of Corvinus University in Budapest. Mr Orban said the university would cater for those who viewed service to the homeland and the public as their profession. CHINA Free medical services to Public Servants have been withdrawn in 24 of China’s 31 provincial-level regions. A media report said the Public Servants and employees in public institutions who had lost access to free medical services had joined the basic health insurance system, getting the same treatment as local residents. The report said most Public Servants were in favour of the reform as it helped end conflicts between the Government and the people, and saved money for the Government. SCOTLAND The Head of Scotland’s Public Service, Sir Peter Housden has been accused of taking political sides by talking up a Scottish National Party victory in a referendum on Scottish independence. Sir Peter gave Public Servants a briefing in which he said if the vote was ‘no’ there would be no change but if the vote was ‘yes’ in a “positive result”, it would require a major constitutional Bill in the United Kingdom Parliament. His comments were interpreted as appearing to think that a ‘no’ vote was unlikely, even though opinion polls have suggested that just 30 per cent of Scots would vote to leave the United Kingdom. ISLE OF MAN A new Government Unified Pension Scheme for Public Servants on the Isle of Man has been accepted by unions. The new terms will take effect from 1 April and will merge 15 PS schemes into a single final salary program, bringing pension arrangements under local control. The move was designed to make pension management simpler and more affordable. Edition 248, 25 January 2012
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