| Comment Number: | OL-10504918 |
| Received: | 3/10/2005 1:03:36 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
NSPS is detrimental to all Civil Service workers. Instead of identifying areas in current laws that need revision or improvement, or making recommendations of specific changes problems cited by this administration, Congress gave a blank check to the Bush administration to write new rules as they go along. During Congressional hearings the Secretary of Defense asserted that the Pentagon's broad mission requires greater "flexibility" in hiring, disciplining, compensating and assigning civilian personnel. While this sounds benign the changes proposed in NSPS uncover a malignancy where all bargaining rules and regulations are being tossed out and current negotiated contracts will be null and void. NSPS eliminates long fought for and hard won protection such as seniority rights, Veteran's preference and discrimination protection. Disguised as concern for National Security, NSPS will result in even more government jobs being contracted out to private companies such as Halliburton. The Bush administration and the Republican Party have found a successful tool to destroy Unions in this country and that tool is NSPS. National Security used as a smokescreen has worked well for them; however, the proposed changes are not even related to fixing National Security issues. NSPS is a dangerous precedent that many experts and most civil service employees believe will eventually break Unions throughout the government and sets the example for private industry to follow suit. Pay for performance is a case of deceptive labeling. Various government agencies have been testing performance pay systems for decades and invariably the majority of workers feel cheated when advancement, promotion and pay decisions are the sole discretion of a supervisor. The process typically reduces salaries and morale and eliminates redress for decisions made on the basis of considerations other than merit. NSPS looks and sounds like the good old boy system only worse with unlimited powers and no recourse. Frankly NSPS frightens me. I strongly oppose the implementation of NSPS as constructed.