OTTAWA, April 4, 2012 /CNW/ - The Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) will be making every effort to fight back against cuts to jobs and services announced in the recent federal budget.
"These cuts affect workers across the board from electricians to vehicle technicians, and safety inspectors," said UNDE National President John MacLennan. "Canadians have a right to know the whole story about these cuts and their impact on support to the Canadian Forces," he added.
During the last round of comparable cuts to the public service in the 1990s, skills and institutional memory was lost and support to the Canadian Forces severely affected. The cuts announced in the budget affect public service employees in a wide range of occupations at bases across Canada. This includes labourers, plumbers, electricians, comptrollers, communications specialists, safety and fire inspectors, vehicle technicians and food service workers. The positions are not back office public service jobs but are core jobs to support the military in front offices.
"UNDE is asking Locals to mobilize now to challenge any cuts to core services, " said MacLennan. "I have yet to see the required business case as per the Department of National Defence Work Force Adjustment Procedures to show that these job reductions will lead to savings for the Canadian tax payer. Some of these jobs are the lowest paid in the entire Federal government".
The Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) represents approximately 20, 000 public and private sector workers at DND establishments and facilities across Canada. UNDE is one of the largest components of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
and interviews:
John MacLennan, National President, UNDE, 1-866-594-4505 Ext.15
Philippe Turcq, Vice-President (Quebec), UNDE, 514-247-3094
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