Cutting Government Jobs Not the Answer
Nov 21, 2012
andy, bc, colin, craig, ctf, regier
The latest blow against public sector workers came in the Throne Speech earlier this week where the Manitoba NDP announced 600 jobs would be cut in the next three years. The result would obviously mean a decrease in services that Manitobans rely on to deliver health, justice and many other programs that keep our families healthy and safe in our communities. Apparently these drastic measures weren’t enough for anti- government lobbyists who criticized the government for not cutting enough. They allege that because the number of people employed by the civil service has increased since 2008, the staff cuts are meaningless.The first question to ask is which departments increased the number of employees and do these priorities align with the services that Manitobans demand? The two main increases over the past year were in the Departments of Justice and Health. If recent commentary on the issues of health and safety is any indication of the need for enhanced services, the added support in these policy areas is a good start.
In health, the need for supplementary services stems directly from the aging population and the services that these citizens require. Supporting programs that assist some of our most vulnerable during times of ill health has been improved through progress in cancer treatment and other areas.
In safety, the average daily prisoner count was 2,253 last year, up from 2,019 the previous year. People on probation averaged 7,234 last year, compared with 7,033 the year before. These dramatic increases in workload highlight the need for more staff to ensure communities stay safe.
Combine this with the average population set to increase at approximately 12,800 persons per year and its plain to see that more well funded services are needed to support a society that we all want to live in.
The disgruntled point to Saskatchewan’s public employment practices as the model that Manitoba should follow. This argument is supported by the number of individuals that are employed by the civil service in the respective provinces with Saskatchewan’s number of employees declining. However, when wages and the cost of employment are considered Saskatchewan ranks second in the country only behind Alberta according to a report from the Calgary School of Public Policy. In fact, Saskatchewan pays $11,694 more than Manitoba per employee. Perhaps there is something to learn from Saskatchewan.
Meanwhile, the claim that employment numbers have increased also hides the steady year-over-year increase in term, casual and contract employees. These positions are often used to plug gaps in services with temporary band aids and fails to address the root cause of the issue- the struggle to do more with less. It is obvious that more still needs to be done to combat the recruitment and retention issues facing the Manitoba Civil Service and the resulting spikes in workload and work-related stress. Cutting jobs pushes us in the wrong direction and will negatively impact the quality of services that we all depend on.
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