THE public service department wants a national framework agreement to be negotiated with organised labour in order to win support for “alternative service delivery mechanisms”, the Business Day reports. The paper reports the document containing the proposal — aimed at reducing government’s personnel costs — has been adopted as the basis for talks with public service unions. It defines alternative service delivery as including “the creation of agencies, outsourcing, commercialisation and the establishment of shared services”. Other proposals in the document include reducing overtime work and renegotiating the terms of home loans and medical aid schemes.