Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Do Labour Job Adverts Point to September Election?

Interesting that the Labour Party is advertising various positions on the W4MP website, but they are all on fixed 9 month contracts.

17XXX/Regional Organiser, for The Labour Party
Salary: £30k - £33k, Fixed Term Contract.
Posted on 13 January 09, closes on 26 January 09

17XXX/Trainee Campaigns Organiser, for The Labour Party
Salary: £20k - £22k, Fixed Term Contract.
Posted on 09 January 09, closes on 21 January 09

17XXX/Trainee Campaigns Officer x3, for The Labour Party
Salary: £20k - £22k, 9 Month Fixed Term Contracts.
Posted on 09 January 09, closes on 19 January 09

It is certainly odd to put trainees on a fixed term contract of this length. September election anyone?

UPDATE: Several commenters have pointed out that up to nine months, people don't have any employment rights. But an email has landed in my intray from a very good Labour supporting source, who has another, very plausible, theory...

What you should really be asking here is how are they funded? The nine months isn’t to do with a possible election date, but the amount of funding the unions have committed to the posts. Then they agree to a second nine months which takes us neatly to May. By not committing the full amount the unions retain a greater degree of pressure on Brown.

Another example of Back to the 1970s?

10 comments:

Not a sheep said...

Or they fear that the Labour party will be bankrupt, and so unable to pay staff, beyond that date.

Bob said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bob said...

Iain, not quite right....

The FTCs are less than a year as this means that no redundancy will be due, and they will not have accrued unfair dismissal rights, so after 11 or 10 months they can be got rid of with no recourse.

A simple and neat employment law and HR sidestep.

Nothing political there.....

Not a sheep said...

Sidestepping their own Employment Laws. Does the phrase "Do as we say, not as we do" come to mind?

The Grim Reaper said...

I think Gordon Brown should just pick a date for the next General Election out of a hat, to be honest. Whatever date it says on that piece of paper will be the day we have it.

A crazy idea? Maybe, but no more crazy than the endless speculation going on through the (old and new) media.

Anonymous said...

Looks to me like the same sort of stuff advertised in the summer of 2007.

he hasn't got the bottle.

Anonymous said...

Yes it is an obvious indicator!

They do tend to recruit on fixed term basis. Although Michael Spicer asked Brown at PMQ's whether Brown would call an early election. Brown said in the house of Commons he would not call an early election. So surely that must mean it has to be 2010?

Unsworth said...

Bring it on!

cassandra said...

There will NOT be an election EVER!

If you think the Prime Mentalist has plans to just give up the 'precious' think again matey!

Tucked away in the EU CONStitution are several 'binary weapons' and a suspension of the democratic process is just one, the economy of the UK is shattered and in just a matter of months the whole nation will be in ruins and martial law and a government of national unity(Brown led and taking orders from Brussels)will be installed.
Why do think the nulabour gangsters are so desperate for the CONstitution to be enacted? Once its in place, there will never be free elections ever again!
Try fighting against the Brussels regime and see what you get!

Chris Paul said...

Fixed term basis for staff gets round stuff applying to permanent staff anyway, whether 9 months or 2 years.

Fixed term basis also prudent if finances are expected but uncertain.

And also such basis would allow positive discrimination under RRA and SDA where trainees can be recruited from target groups SO LONG AS there is no certainty of permanent employment.

The adverts should say if these are positive action posts.

Red herring on the redundacy issue I think, indicates nothing on timing of general election (we certainly have Euro elections in five months), budget certainty may be an issue, as may positive action.