Layoffs planned at local EI centres
Union urges protests over proposed Service Canada cuts
SYDNEY — Cape Bretoners were being encouraged Monday to raise their voices in protest over the proposed layoff of 80-100 local workers with Service Canada in Sydney and Glace Bay.
“The community needs to understand the effect such a reduction is going to have on the local economy,” said Jeannie Baldwin, regional executive vice-president of Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents the workers.
“Those workers provide a valuable service and this government has no idea how far removed their are from the community. Cuts like this will be devastating to the local economy,” said Baldwin.
The reductions were announced Friday by Diane Finley, minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and are to be phased-in over the next three years.
Service Canada now processes employment insurance claims at 120 sites across the country but by 2014, the number of centres will be reduced to 22.
While Finley said no offices will close as a small, front-line staff will be maintained for now, Baldwin said the reduction in staff will only further hurt service delivery to all Canadians.
Baldwin said the plan is to consolidate processing in Moncton, St. John’s, Halifax, New Glasgow and Bridgewater, along with closing the Glace Bay call centre.
Finley said Service Canada has made considerable progress since 2005 to modernize how EI is processed by increasing automation.
“Canadians expect their hard-earned tax dollars to be used as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Finley, adding that efforts to modernize the EI processes and delivery have already turned in a savings of almost 30 per cent.
“This government got elected on a promise of job creation so this is not a good example of the government working for our benefit,” said Baldwin.
Finley said a workforce management strategy will help with the planned personnel changes, which will include anticipated attrition, reassignments and training.
Baldwin said the union is planning to raise awareness of the issue in Cape Breton through protests and other public forms of opposition.
“We want all of Cape Breton to understand just what it means to have those jobs taken away. These are some of the people who fully support the local economy,” she said.
Joseph Parris, president of the union’s regional council, said Monday that workers he’s spoken to are devastated over the news.
“There is a lot of shock and disbelief here today,” said Parris.
Jim Paris, president of the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce, said Monday taking the jobs out of the economy will hurt .
“Those are good, viable, well paying jobs and taking that money out of the economy will result in a downward spiral,” said Paris, adding the chamber hopes the cuts can be mitigated to reduce the effect on the local economy.
Service Canada was created in 2005 to improve the delivery of government programs and services.
The federal government has already served notice to other government agencies of its plan to cut staff positions.
Some 700 workers with Public Works and Government Services Canada will be laid off over the next three years. Five curators at the national art gallery have been given layoff notices along with 50 Environment Canada term employees, including scientists and scientific support staff.
The government is looking for some $4 billion in cuts to balance the budget by 2014.
Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking said Monday the reductions are not acceptable.
“At a time when we have a higher-than-usual unemployment rate, this government should be investing in job creation, not eliminating them,” he said.
Eyking said he plans to press the government for more details on their plan.
“Those workers provide a valuable service and this government has no idea how far removed their are from the community. Cuts like this will be devastating to the local economy,” said Baldwin.
The reductions were announced Friday by Diane Finley, minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and are to be phased-in over the next three years.
Service Canada now processes employment insurance claims at 120 sites across the country but by 2014, the number of centres will be reduced to 22.
While Finley said no offices will close as a small, front-line staff will be maintained for now, Baldwin said the reduction in staff will only further hurt service delivery to all Canadians.
Baldwin said the plan is to consolidate processing in Moncton, St. John’s, Halifax, New Glasgow and Bridgewater, along with closing the Glace Bay call centre.
Finley said Service Canada has made considerable progress since 2005 to modernize how EI is processed by increasing automation.
“Canadians expect their hard-earned tax dollars to be used as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Finley, adding that efforts to modernize the EI processes and delivery have already turned in a savings of almost 30 per cent.
“This government got elected on a promise of job creation so this is not a good example of the government working for our benefit,” said Baldwin.
Finley said a workforce management strategy will help with the planned personnel changes, which will include anticipated attrition, reassignments and training.
Baldwin said the union is planning to raise awareness of the issue in Cape Breton through protests and other public forms of opposition.
“We want all of Cape Breton to understand just what it means to have those jobs taken away. These are some of the people who fully support the local economy,” she said.
Joseph Parris, president of the union’s regional council, said Monday that workers he’s spoken to are devastated over the news.
“There is a lot of shock and disbelief here today,” said Parris.
Jim Paris, president of the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce, said Monday taking the jobs out of the economy will hurt .
“Those are good, viable, well paying jobs and taking that money out of the economy will result in a downward spiral,” said Paris, adding the chamber hopes the cuts can be mitigated to reduce the effect on the local economy.
Service Canada was created in 2005 to improve the delivery of government programs and services.
The federal government has already served notice to other government agencies of its plan to cut staff positions.
Some 700 workers with Public Works and Government Services Canada will be laid off over the next three years. Five curators at the national art gallery have been given layoff notices along with 50 Environment Canada term employees, including scientists and scientific support staff.
The government is looking for some $4 billion in cuts to balance the budget by 2014.
Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking said Monday the reductions are not acceptable.
“At a time when we have a higher-than-usual unemployment rate, this government should be investing in job creation, not eliminating them,” he said.
Eyking said he plans to press the government for more details on their plan.
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