The B.C. governments decision to review its bargaining mandate while in the middle of contentious negotiations with tens of thousands of workers many of whom have started strike action has bewildered union officials.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong on Thursday announced a review of whether government could afford its co-operative gains bargaining mandate, as part of widespread cutbacks to government spending in the wake of slumping revenue. Co-operative gains meant the government would only allow wage increases for workers if savings could be found elsewhere in their contracts.
But with government now faced with having to cut hundreds of millions to balance its budget in 2013, de Jong said there may not be enough money.
Were I not to point out the obvious, that in the midst of negotiations that these numbers have an impact on governments ability to pay, you would be doing it for me, he told reporters at a briefing where he outlined $1.4 billion in vanishing natural resource revenue. This obviously impacts on the dollars available to government, and were going to need to look at that.
B.C. Government & Service Employees Union representatives are puzzled by the governments change of course, said president Darryl Walker.
Last month, then-finance minister Kevin Falcon touted good news coming from public accounts and suggested the government was on track for a surplus budget next year. How could it have changed so drastically in one months time? Walker asked.
A reduction in government spending will put added pressure on public services such as social workers and child protection, Walker said.
We expect that any savings realized by the governments hiring freeze and our overtime ban will go toward a better offer for our members, whove not had a raise in three and a half years, he said.
Jim Sinclair, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, called on the government to roll up their sleeves and start doing their job, and their job is to make sure they get collective agreements, [ensure] services continue and they run the government.
The governments decision to review the co-operative gains bargaining mandate at this point has bad optics, said Ken Thornicroft, a professor of law and employment relations at the University of Victoria.
From a legal point, [government negotiators] havent really done anything wrong as long as they can make an arguable case justifying why proposals made in the past arent going to be put forward in the future, he said.
While government workers are upset at the prospect of a continuation of frozen wages, they should be aware that many public-sector workers have lost their jobs entirely and had wages and benefits slashed, Thornicroft said.
B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins said in a statement that the government is desperate to pick an election-winning fight with public-sector unions.
This is part of the Liberals plan to have a surplus budget in February, said Cummins, and on election eve claim the result was due to their prowess as fiscal managers.
