OTTAWA, Feb. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - What impact will the Conservative government's plans for across-the-board cuts have on the employment of workers with disabilities, Aboriginal and racialized workers?
That's the question PSAC will put to the Senate human rights committee which is examining employment equity and hiring practices in the federal public service.
"Once again, we're asking for information and transparency," said PSAC national executive vice-president Patty Ducharme. "Canadians have a right to know the whole story about the proposed cuts and their impact."
During the last round of severe cuts to the public service in the 1990s, Aboriginal workers and workers with disabilities left the public service at rates that were significantly higher than other workers.
Any progress that has been made over the past several years could be lost very quickly if cuts are made without regard for their impact on members of equity groups.
As Justice Rosalie Abella pointed out in the Report of the Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, equity is not something that should only be reserved for good economic times; all members of society should have equal access to jobs regardless of the economic climate.
"PSAC is renewing its call on Tony Clement to let Canadians in on the plans and recommendations he's receiving from departments and consulting firm Deloitte that all of us are paying for," said Ducharme.
and interviews:
Ariel Troster, PSAC Communications, 613-292-8363
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