OTTAWA … "The announcement today that the Military will receive a further increase in their salaries, in addition to the 2.5% increase they received last November, is a slap in the face for our members who are only being offered 2% during their current round of negotiations," says John Gordon, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

"Prior to these increases the military pay had increased by between 9.3 and 9.4%," adds Gordon. "We are not opposed to increases for the Military but we are opposed to the federal government’s lack of respect for its front line workers who provide top quality services to the Canadian public. It’s time this government put an end to its double-standards when it comes to salary increases."

John MacLennan, national president of the PSAC’s Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) reiterates Gordon’s concern about the lack of Respect for the federal government front line workers. "At the same time as Treasury Board said its mandate for our members was only 2%, the government was quick to approve an 8.7% increase, retroactive to April 1, 2000, for its senior executives," MacLennan adds.

Some 1,600 PSAC/UNDE members currently working within the Department of National Defence’s Supply Chain across the country are facing the privatization of their jobs. "With the contracting-out of their jobs also comes the fear of job losses and pay cuts as well as the loss of income to the affected communities."

MacLennan says its time this government took note of what the Auditor-General has said in his final report about the failure of the ‘Alternative Service Delivery (ASD)’ program within DND to save huge amounts of money: ‘the ASD program, intended to lower costs by contracting for services, was saving only about $60-million a year by 2000 rather than the $200-million saving targeted for 1999 and the $350-million targeted for 2001. The Alternative Service Delivery program has also raised questions about the loss of military flexibility as Forces personnel are replaced by civilian contractors’. As we have said before and continue to say, privatization doesn’t benefit the government, it doesn’t save money and it won’t make DND more efficient."

Both Gordon and MacLennan are calling on the federal Treasury Board to stop the double standards and treat its workers with respect. "They are the front line workers who are trying to provide quality services after tens of thousands of jobs have been cut. They are also the people who are overworked, underpaid and under valued and who should be compensated fairly."

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For information:
John Gordon, PSAC national executive vice-president , (613) 560-4310
John MacLennan, UNDE national president, (613) 594-4505

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