Sunday, May 02, 2004
BC "Liberal" party goes too far by empossing a Retroactive wage Cut
For some time now the BC Liberal party has wanted to undermine the public sector unions. Since coming to power they have imposed contracts on the teachers, doctors, nurses and transit workers. They are now going after hospital support staff. Now, whatever side of the issue you come down on, I think it safe to say that they really bungled this most recent battle. Not only did they impose a 15% wage roll back and pave the way to privatization, they, get this, made the wage roll back retroactive. What this means is just as these employees have submitted their income tax returns, the government has demanded that these support staff pay a de facto tax on past earnings. When asked why the government imposed the retroactive roll back finance minister Colin Hanson said “because I felt like it.” The response of some other MLAs was equally stupefying. A few even admitted that if they had they known about the retroactive clause they would never have voted for the Bill. In other words, they admitted to not reading all or part of the bill.
In response, to Premier Campbell’s ham fisted tactics teachers are planning to defy an order designating them essential service employees, hospital workers are going to defy back to work legislation and transit workers are walking off the job.
Three years ago, Campbell was given an overwhelming mandate, taking 77 of 79 seats. Through deeds like these he finds himself behind to the polls and the pendulum that is BC politics threatens to swing the other way yet again. In BC we do not actually vote for a party, we vote against them. Last time there around there was a huge protest vote against the NDP. Next time there will be a large protest vote against the Liberals. Although I am not exactly what you call an avid supporter of the provincial NDP, I am going be part of the backlash. I am going to vote for the NDP. Retroactive roll backs, introducing a “training wage” read a reduction in the minimum wage, neutering the workers compensation board, lowering the age at which children can start working to 12!, all of this is just going to far.
For some time now the BC Liberal party has wanted to undermine the public sector unions. Since coming to power they have imposed contracts on the teachers, doctors, nurses and transit workers. They are now going after hospital support staff. Now, whatever side of the issue you come down on, I think it safe to say that they really bungled this most recent battle. Not only did they impose a 15% wage roll back and pave the way to privatization, they, get this, made the wage roll back retroactive. What this means is just as these employees have submitted their income tax returns, the government has demanded that these support staff pay a de facto tax on past earnings. When asked why the government imposed the retroactive roll back finance minister Colin Hanson said “because I felt like it.” The response of some other MLAs was equally stupefying. A few even admitted that if they had they known about the retroactive clause they would never have voted for the Bill. In other words, they admitted to not reading all or part of the bill.
In response, to Premier Campbell’s ham fisted tactics teachers are planning to defy an order designating them essential service employees, hospital workers are going to defy back to work legislation and transit workers are walking off the job.
Three years ago, Campbell was given an overwhelming mandate, taking 77 of 79 seats. Through deeds like these he finds himself behind to the polls and the pendulum that is BC politics threatens to swing the other way yet again. In BC we do not actually vote for a party, we vote against them. Last time there around there was a huge protest vote against the NDP. Next time there will be a large protest vote against the Liberals. Although I am not exactly what you call an avid supporter of the provincial NDP, I am going be part of the backlash. I am going to vote for the NDP. Retroactive roll backs, introducing a “training wage” read a reduction in the minimum wage, neutering the workers compensation board, lowering the age at which children can start working to 12!, all of this is just going to far.
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