The current trend in almost any type of big business is to let go the employees and hire them back as contracting personal. Here in B.C., a bigger threat looms in our midst.
The Liberal government wants to balance the budget, and they plan on doing it on the backs of the workers that are employed by them. Last year, thousands of jobs, many of them specialized, were cut from the workforce and offered for bid to private companies instead. The rational behind this is that if the government meets a low bid from private companies to do all the jobs that the $18 + a hour people are doing, they will save money. The job sizing continues when the positition that were currently there are also downsized.
Example: Say it takes 18 people to run a hospital laundry. That is 6 people per shift, three shifts. Generally 7-3, 3-11, 11-7. Now, Laundry in a hospital is not a part time kind of job. What the government wants to do is take those 18 people and lay them all off. Then, those 18 jobs will be downsized to 10. What took 18 people to do to keep up, now will require 10. Instead of getting $18 and up a hour, those private companies will employ workers for $9.
" What about the people that are laid off?" The B.C. Government promises that it made deals with private companies to hire those laid off people first. Wow, isn't that nice of them? Never mind the $9 a hour cut in pay, but working under worst conditions.
The liberal party considers that the benifits alone from all the people laid off will save them 8 Million a year. That isn't factored in the wages that they have to pay, which they don't. But, look at this: The average bid for these services is for 15 million. The numbers themselves come out to about equal.
What about the others that aren't hired? Considering there are less than half of the jobs available after this happens, we have to look at the other guy.
In 2002, the Liberal government announced that they were making changes to the B.C. Welfare structure. Under the old guidelines, people could apply for emergency status, or apply any time of the month. If you showed good cause, then you got on it. Yes, there were people abusing the system, but that doesn't mean that everyone must be punished.
So, the new changes were there were no more guidlines for emergency relief, since they eliminated it. There is one intake day a month, and you would have to have been looking for work 6 weeks before you are allowed to apply for that intake day. Documentaion a must.
Then, you must again look for work after your intake appointment for another 6 weeks. 3 months without means of supportm in otherwords. If you manage to fine work, congrats. If you don't, then you are evaluated after those three weeks to whether you qualify. And the case worker doesn't have to have a reason for denying you.
If you are on welfare, then you have two years, no matter what . Nevermind if you are a single mother, or handicapped.
So, these now out of work people must either hope they get the new generation of privatization of their job, or collect U.I. or Welfare. Oh, I forgot to mention that U.I has changed too. 1 year, regardless of anything. And it takes 30-60 days to be ableto book a appointment. Either way, the workers of B.C. are screwed. Did B.C. balance the budget in the last three years? No. Actually, according to their own figures, the B.C. Liberal party has manage to outspend the previous NDP government spending.
It is a shame, with all the other things happening to the econmy of B.C. that this kind of thing can happen. It is just another example of how the politicians don't care about you and me.