An excerpt from the current lead story on NNW via the Vancouver Sun:
"OTTAWA — Hundreds of federal compensation advisers in Ottawa are braced to see if the government will abolish their jobs and recruit new employees after consolidating their work at a new $300-million pay centre in Miramichi, N.B.
It’s been several weeks since Prime Minister Stephen Harper stunned 2,100 compensation advisers working in 110 departments across the country by announcing that their jobs would be moving to Miramichi, and they still don’t know their fate.
The government offered few details on how it plans to manage the move to a state-of-the-art, centralized, self-serve pay system for public servants and that is fanning fears that workers will lose their jobs in the political trade-off the Conservative government made in order to shut down the long gun registry based in Miramichi.
“What do they expect — the government makes an announcement without details which involves people’s livelihoods and panic and fear are created,” said John Gordon, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Hundreds+federal+employees+remain+limbo/3485551/story.html#ixzz0yhWU7Mm1
That's just more of that tyrannical bully Stephen Harper, right? The thing is, those jobs in Miramichi don't actually start for 6 years. That's right, six years. "The government will set aside the nearly $300 million over the next six years, creating new IT jobs in the national capital region where the systems and processes will be modernized and the 550 jobs in Miramichi by 2015-2016. Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived Thursday to announce the new centre would be moving to the New Brunswick community by 2016.
I'm pretty sure 5 years notice will comply with labour laws across all regions of Canada.
Of course the other glaring error in the Vancouver Sun story is the fact Public Works has already stated no current workers will lose their jobs. "Public Works officials offered few details, but said no existing compensation advisers will lose their jobs because any reductions would be handled by attrition."
7 comments:
Oh boo-flippin-hoo!
The entitled, civil service are certainly a big, big group of whiny noise makers but when the media in this country just simply makes things up, it just gets so old and annoying.
On a radio talk show last week, during a discussion on paternal maternity benefits, several guys called in saying they did it and spoke about the financial and personal consequences in their lives.
And then a Federal employee called in, very cheerful and full of vim and vinegar as he casually and proudly stated that he was afforded 94% of his salary to enjoy this moment in his life.
I was astounded and so angry. This MUST stop and these people need a wake up call to the realities of the men and women that pay taxes from the private sector unable to do the same.
Disgusting!
I think that was the same show I heard Bec, on AM640. Amazing the union members are on pins and needles worrying about their jobs, considering the fact changes won't be implemented for 5-6 years, and Public Works already ruled out job cuts.
What really amazes me is the same Vancouver Sun reported those exact facts in August, but I guess they don't fit in with the Scary Harper storyline.
I agree with Bec. I was a federal public servant, but am all for progress, efficiencies and cut-backs. If technology can replace workers, let's do it and if some jobs are out of the NCR, fine. These people will have options and a safety net for applying for new positions, so it is not all that bad. The SUN is irresponsible.
Believe me, the PS has way too many benefits, often abused. EDOs are the biggest scam. I retired with over 1200 earned sick days unused, as they should be. I have principles and never believed in taking "mental health days" or pretend sick days. They were insurance, not a right to a free holiday. I averaged 4 sick days per year over my career and was very happy to have been able to take 6 weeks paid leave once when I had to recover from an operation. Clerks are way over-paid due to the ridiculous equal pay legislation which ignored free market principle.
L
2100 compensation advisors. wtf.
The merger of compensation/HR/pay departments was actually announced in the budget a year or two ago.
As it is now, each government department has their own compensation section but they all follow the same procedures as outlined by public works.
The plan is to merge all these various departments into one which is managed by public works and to also computerize/automate a lot of the things compensation advisors do so employees can do it themselves (for example, set up direct deposit for pay).
The merger of compensation/HR/pay departments was actually announced in the budget a year or two ago.
As it is now, each government department has their own compensation section but they all follow the same procedures as outlined by public works.
The plan is to merge all these various departments into one which is managed by public works and to also computerize/automate a lot of the things compensation advisors do so employees can do it themselves (for example, set up direct deposit for pay).
I am one of those compensation advisors that will be out of a job by next year...not 5 years from now. No notice was given to us, no warning, no followup. We are just left in the cold. Not asked if we would like to transfer, not told what our fate is. There are about 1500 of us that are not going to retire in the next few years. I don't see how you can downsize a job from 2100 to about 350. The system will collapse and no one will get paid. And by the way Bec, there are several companies that pay TOP UP for parental and maternity. Look them up on the internet. There are also a lot of rules that come with collecting this money.
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