Public sector crackdown yields results

Civil Service Minister Renato Brunetta on Thursday said his crackdown on absenteeism among workers in the public sector was proving successful.
The number of public sector workers taking sick leave in July fell 37% compared to the same period last year, following drops in June (22%) and May (11%), Brunetta said.
''The increase in the presence of staff in public offices means more service and a better quality of performance: less queuing, more availability, fewer closures because of lack of staff,'' he said.
''The phenomenon also represents a necessary step towards what I hope will be an improvement in productivity in the public sector''.
Brunetta has pledged to resign unless his campaign to cut down on absenteeism and so-called 'fannulloni', or slackers, in the public sector does not yield results within a year.
His crackdown followed publicity over public sector workers who were taking unnecessary sick leave, getting colleagues to clock on and off for them, or arriving at the office to stamp their own cards before leaving again.
The minister also plans to introduce a reward system which will be based on how effectively workers do their job as well as the number of days they turn up for work.