[IDEA] Essential Services Act

[Vitoriasa]

Essential Services Act
A resolution to ensure the availability of Essential Services

Description: The General Assembly,

NOTES that in the absence of funding, essential services become non-operational, closed, or abolished.

is ASTONISHED that many people are seriously hurt, harmed, and in some events die due to the non-availability of proper services

Hereby

DEFINES an essential service as a group or organization that is responsible for emergency response (Fire/Ambulance/Police)

MANDATES that government organizations provide funding to services in the following areas:
(1) Firefighting services responsible for the suppression and prevention of fires
(2) Emergency medical services responsible for immediate response to medical emergencies
(3) Policing services responsible for the prevention of crime, and the apprehension of criminals

further MANDATES that organizations included under the act be permanently in operation

---

Please discuss.

[Holy Roman Confederate]

This is common sense for most nations. You are also seeking to tell a nation how they will budget and provide for the populous. I cant say I agree with this one, and will not support it should it go to a vote.

[Quadrimmina]

You basically mandated 911.

[Grays Harbor]

Do we really require something which mandates that governments do what they already are doing? We believe that may fall under the jusrisdiction of the Department of Redundancy Department.

[Bears Armed]

Category and strength?

[Embolalia]

What exactly constitutes a government organization? Does it have to be the Commonwealth government, or can it be delegated to our constituent country, county, or local governments? Are there any minumum standards for coverage, or could we simply put a couple Cénŷog into one precinct of the Caridd Fire, Police, and EMS Departments, without bothering with the rest of the Commonwealth?

And what does "permanently in operation" mean? Does that mean we can't close down precincts and departments that are no longer needed?

[Vitoriasa]

What exactly constitutes a government organization? Does it have to be the Commonwealth government, or can it be delegated to our constituent country, county, or local governments? Are there any minumum standards for coverage, or could we simply put a couple Cénŷog into one precinct of the Caridd Fire, Police, and EMS Departments, without bothering with the rest of the Commonwealth?

And what does "permanently in operation" mean? Does that mean we can't close down precincts and departments that are no longer needed?

Permanently in operation means that they cannot take labor action. ie. They cannot go on strike, since they are mandated as an essential service.

[Embolalia]

Permanently in operation means that they cannot take labor action. ie. They cannot go on strike, since they are mandated as an essential service.

I don't suppose that could be put in the resolution, since a cursory inspection of our legal terminology archives (OOC: Google) does not yield that definition. I would also hope you are not attempting to dictate labor policy in this resolution. This all, of course, is irrespective of my other concerns.

[Ille-Povrois]

Greetings

We here at Principality of Ille-Povrois are concerned about the definition of "Essencial Services". In our nation this concept it is broader then it is represented in this proposal.
We think that for the prosperity of the WA nations, some patterns should be adopted, but in a subject like "essential services" we should include much more services for the people's well-being.

__The Principality of Ille-Povrois__

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Hi,

Ms. Harper agrees that essential services like fire-fighting and policing should be free and easy to access, but some member states might not agree on it being just publicly funded. Also, there should be a more generic definition for an emergency service: organizations which ensure public safety by addressing different emergencies.

Also, I invite you to have a look at ways to make emergency communication better: this draft was one attempt of mine which was shelved due to the feedback at the time: it might have changed now, we'll see.

Oh, and as for the emergency number: we think it should be 999. But for this draft allow member states to keep their national number.

Yours etc,

[Flibbleites]

Category and strength?

Any particular reason why this very important question hasn't been answered yet?

[General-HaNor]

Where gonna say no

We privatise alot of these services
and they work just fine.

[Magthere]

The Armed Republic of Magthere is in support of this, because though privatised forces may work fine in the Essential Services in some cases but points out that some times these privatised forces may prioritize "higher-end" citizens over others in some cases. However Essential Services should be allowed to have unions, lest the governments or privatized forces employing them abuse the rights of said employees.

[Vitoriasa]

Category and strength?

Significant and... Civil Rights?

OOC: To be honest, I found it hard to find a particular category in the GA Rules thread. Suggestions would be helpful.

[Kryozerkia]

It seems it might fall under Social Justice...

[Flibbleites]

Category and strength?

Significant and... Civil Rights?

OOC: To be honest, I found it hard to find a particular category in the GA Rules thread. Suggestions would be helpful.

Which is exactly why we suggest you pick the category before you write the proposal. It's a lot easier to write a proposal to fit a category then it is to try to shoehorn a proposal into a category after it's written.

[Quadrimmina]

further MANDATES that organizations included under the act be permanently in operation

Even if the resolution is repealed? Isn't that a game mechanics violation?

[Bears Armed]

It seems it might fall under Social Justice...

I'd have thought 'International Security, bearing in mind that that specifically boosts police budgets.
(And including a clause that urges nations to have any relevant units/services within their military provide back-up to the civilian 'emergency' services, when not otherwise engaged, would cover the fact that I.S. resolutions boost the nations' military budgets too...)

[Charlotte Ryberg]

DEFINES an essential service as a group or organization that is responsible for emergency response (Fire/Ambulance/Police)

Also, Fire/Ambulance/Police may not be the only types of emergency services in many member states. We also have gas emergency and coastguards (RNLI, but don't use this particular acronym to refer to the coastguard due to the branding rule ).

[Bears Armed]

OOC: Air/Sea Rescue, Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, Bomb Disposal, Exorcists...

[Vitoriasa]

Essential Services Act
A resolution to ensure the availability of Essential Services
Category: Social Justice l Strength: Significant l Author: Vitoriasa

Description: The General Assembly,

NOTES that in the absence of funding, essential services become non-operational, closed, or abolished.

is ASTONISHED that many are seriously hurt, harmed, or injured due to the fact that emergency responses are slow or even non-existent.

Hereby

DEFINES for the purpose of this resolution, an essential service as an organization which ensures public safety by addressing various emergencies.

MANDATES that government organizations provide funding to all emergency-response organizations responsible for the public's safety within said nation

further MANDATES that organizations named under the act be invited to establish and maintain labor unions for said emergency organization

REQUIRES member Nation States to allow said labor unions the opportunity to voice concern, discontent, or praise

Updated

[Embolalia]

I do have a problem with the mandate as to the structure of our emergency response organizations. Not only do you wish to require them to be government funded, but you also seem to assume that unionizing them would be a universally good idea. And you have still not defined "government organization" in a satisfactory manner, or really at all.

Might I suggest coming up with a list, perhaps with basis in that provided by the Ambassador from Bears Armed, of services that would be considered essential. Then simply leave the funding and unionization issues up to the individual nation. I see no reason why privately funded essential services would be universally untenable, so long as they are required to provide the same level and affordability of service that one would expect from a publicly funded service of the same sort.

[Flibbleites]

MANDATES that government organizations provide funding to all emergency-response organizations responsible for the public's safety within said nation

further MANDATES that organizations named under the act be invited to establish and maintain labor unions for said emergency organization

REQUIRES member Nation States to allow said labor unions the opportunity to voice concern, discontent, or praise

Aren't these clauses already covered by the WA Labor Relations Act?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[Embolalia]

MANDATES that government organizations provide funding to all emergency-response organizations responsible for the public's safety within said nation

further MANDATES that organizations named under the act be invited to establish and maintain labor unions for said emergency organization

REQUIRES member Nation States to allow said labor unions the opportunity to voice concern, discontent, or praise

Aren't these clauses already covered by the WA Labor Relations Act?

I believe section 4 excepts the services mentioned in this resolution:

4. RESERVES to the respective member nations the right to determine the extent to which the provisions of this resolution shall apply to members of the armed forces, law enforcement personnel, providers of emergency services, and government employees providing essential public services.

That said, I think there is good reason section 4 was included in the LRA. Unionization of such essential services can arguably be a bad thing.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Ms. Harper's opinion is that the right to unions in this case should be left up to member states: essentially member states must ensure that emergency services are virtually "always on", no matter the situation.