A brief Transatlantic perspective.

According to this morning's UK press the United States Embassy in
London has not paid over 400 employees (including large numbers of
locally recruited people) for weeks - something that is illegal under
British labour (our spelling!) law - though whether the UK Courts would
have the courage to even give hearings to lawsuits against the US
goverment is highly debatable.  Far, far, worse, the the Embassy has
run out of money for New Year partying and drinking!

On the wider issues, the UK government solution has been to shift
approaching half a million government workers out of government
employment altogether through either full privatisation or a half-way
house of the independent `agency' employing its own staff on its own
terms.  All nationally funded museum staff will lose their final government
employee benefits and rights on 1 April 1996 and have to negotiate
individual or local contracts with the Board and Director or each museum
- a massive increase in cost and paper-pushing.

Patrick Boylan