6 November 2013

SITA sends in the recycling clowns

| johnboy
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It’s not like garbage collection is an occasional activity for the ACT Government. It’s as core a function as things get.

So the only reason to outsource it was always to let someone else screw over the workers.

The Canberra Times has the thrilling news that new contractor SITA might be good at ripping $200 a week from the pay of the drivers, but they had no blithering idea about the work required to fulfil their contract:

Acting director of ACT NOWaste, David Roberts, said the territory’s new garbage and recycling collection contractor SITA Australia had underestimated how much waste would be deposited at the four recycling drop off centres across the city and had missed collections.

“It’s unfortunate that there’s a particular large load. It’s only when a new contract is starting that there seems to be a problem. We are apologetic and we have underestimated how these locations are used. We have recognised the error and will rectify it,” Mr Roberts said.

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So long as no one complains that the government has been screwed over by the contractors and is spending taxpayers money unreasonably…

Lets not kid ourselves, a $1.2m contract is ‘better’ in the public service than a $1.3m contract, even if the difference is due to quality. Unless you are in Defence or Airservices, probably.

BimboGeek said :

Awarding a tender to the lowest bidder is a given

It shouldn’t be, but it often is.

BimboGeek said :

Who approved this tender? They should be put in stocks.

Hear, hear – although I’d change it to “who designed the tender?” – that’s often the root of the problem.

Awarding a tender to a company that has no staff and only manages to come in cheaper by hiring the competition’s staff at a huge pay cut was the first mistake.

Awarding a tender to a company that has no experience in the area may have been a second mistake, depending on how transferrable their skills are. Given that they have no staff, I’d question how much transferrable know-how they could be expected to bring!

Awarding a tender to the lowest bidder is a given, but you’re supposed to cut out the clowns first. More accurately, the tender is intended to be awarded to the lowest bidder who is actually capable of delivering!

Who approved this tender? They should be put in stocks.

SITA or S***TER ?

Why did they change contractors in the first place? There was nothing wrong with Cleanaway. Efficient garbage and recycle collection on time in the morning before lunch, even on Christmas Day and Good Friday. Sounds like another very dodgy deal like the one where bureaucrats kicked Revolve out of the tips, brought in a shady operation from the Gold Coast called Aussie Junk which went broke within a year then kicked Revolve off their premises near the Monaro Highway.

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

I like this sentence from the CT article

“This company haven’t been familiar with recycling.”

Yet didn’t they say SITA have X No. of years experience when they swapped the contract over??

nice call HiddenDragon.

I love how people are “dumping” at recycling centres according to the article. I thought people were encouraged to leave recycled materials there? Dumping suggests something not legal and/or immoral.

Local council, you chose to contract it out. Now its your responsibility to manage the contract. Contracting out doesnt absolve you of responsibility. That being said, his response was quite appropriate and happy to take him at his word.

Rawhide Kid Part310:17 am 06 Nov 13

I like this sentence from the CT article

“This company haven’t been familiar with recycling.”

HiddenDragon10:13 am 06 Nov 13

“So the only reason to outsource it was always to let someone else screw over the workers.” – more demurely referred to as “Bureau-shaping” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau-shaping_model – very, very popular when you look around.

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