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Help for highways, more needed for community workers |
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Written by SGEU
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Thursday, 22 March 2007 |
SGEU New Release: Response to the Provincial Budget
The focus on continuing to build strong, quality public services in the 2007-2008 provincial budget is both expected and welcomed in this era of economic prosperity, according to Bob Bymoen, president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (SGEU).
The allocation of $5 billion over 10 years to strengthen our highways system is a meaningful investment in the province's public infrastructure. "A well-maintained, high quality transportation network is fundamental to the well-being of our province's families and communities, and is important for future economic development in all areas of the province," said Bymoen.
SGEU welcomes initiatives to strengthen social programs, particularly
for seniors, youth and vulnerable families. It is important, however,
to ensure that there are sufficient staff to adequately deliver these
and other vital services, cautioned Bymoen.
Front-line workers in Community Resources, child welfare and Social
Assistance Plan workers, for example, are hampered in their ability to
do their jobs because of work overload. "Many of these workers, whose
jobs are essential to the safety and security of Saskatchewan children
and vulnerable families, fear that their heavy workload could result in
clients slipping through the cracks, with serious, if not tragic,
consequences," according to Bymoen. "We will continue to work toward an
increase in the number of Community Resources staff," he added.
Quality, public post-secondary training is the key to Saskatchewan's
future, and while SGEU welcomes enhancements in the training system, it
urges the government to ensure that programs are publicly-delivered.
"Training done by the private sector is too often "training on the
fly", and does not provide the learner with a comprehensive, portable
set of skills," said Bymoen.
Community services workers continue to be grossly underpaid, despite an
injection of funds in recent years. In some cases, community boards are
not passing the government funding on to workers.
Even those receiving
the increases are finding little financial relief, since their wages
were so low to begin with. "It would be shameful for the government to
shut out this group of vulnerable workers in this time of economic
prosperity," said Bymoen. Community services workers are employed in
group homes for people with disabilities, child cares, crisis centres
and women's shelters.
An emphasis on funding for recruitment and retention in health care is
essential.
SGEU is expecting additional funding for workers at the
Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, many of whom are working for less than
health care professionals in other areas.
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