Yesterday’s Manitoba throne speech outlined a number of investments in public services and infrastructure, but revealed no commitments to invest in the people who actually deliver those services.
There were a number of announcements in the speech that
are of interest to MGEU members – and Manitoba workers in general – including...
· Paid workplace leave provisions for victims of domestic violence;
· Support for the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s new Inuit Art Centre;
· Action to protect wetlands, wildlife and the health of Lake Winnipeg;
· Building a new Pan Am Clinic;
· Redeveloping the North Hill Assiniboine Community College Campus;
· Enhancing access to Midwives;
·
Personal Care Home expansion; and
· Mental health supports for youth.
But for many MGEU members these investments mean little when most are still without a new contract, and have been for well over a year. Missing from the speech was a commitment by the government to invest in the people who deliver our public services. In the Civil Service, for instance, many members continue to deal with reduced staffing – there are 600 fewer Civil Service
employees providing services today than there were four years ago – and challenges remain in recruiting and retaining workers,
which further increases workloads and threatens services.
Spending promises for new infrastructure projects, programs and services may be welcome news for most Manitobans, but they don’t add up when the government continues to drag out collective bargaining with its own workforce and stall investments in the people who provide these crucial public services.