A wage freeze to protect public services? Perhaps not.

"The purpose of the consultations is to provide opportunities for broader public sector bargaining agents, employers and the government to engage in a dialogue about how we can work together to manage compensation expense in a fair manner that protects key public services," said ...Tim Hadwen, assistant deputy minister of the Labour Relations Secretariat. (My emphasis. -- DA)

This has been the consistent argument from the provincial government -- we are freezing wages to protect public services. However, we have not seen too much protection of public services in the hospital sector, so far.

On Tuesday, for example, the government appointed Central East LHIN approved plans to cut 182 full time hospital jobs at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Cornwall, which announced plans to cut 30 jobs, had 22 patients in ER on Friday waiting for a hospital bed.

And despite all this, we get a steady drone from the government that they are not cutting hospital services.

So it's hard for this observer to put too much credence on government talk about protecting public services.

dallan@cupe.ca

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