(TORONTO, ON)– Today’s line-by-line audit points to austerity measures on the way, including service cuts and privatization, says the Ontario Federation of Labour. In his address, Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy spoke about increased digitization and job change across the public service, the sale of public assets, and means testing for Ontarians accessing services and programs.
The Ontario Federation of Labour will work to ensure that public services and assets stay in public hands and will take an active role in upcoming consultations to protect the rights of every Ontarian to access quality, well-regulated public services.
“Ontario’s public services must remain universally available. Means testing will deprive some Ontarians of these much-needed services,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “For this government to report a massive deficit on Friday, then on Tuesday propose the possibility of means testing to access public services shows that cuts will be made on the backs of Ontarians, rather than making sure that big business is paying its fair share to this province. Rest assured that workers will defend their public services.”
Digitization and shared services could lead to job losses across the public sector, and the probability of an increased number of precarious jobs in the public sector.
“For many workers, retraining means moving to new work at lower wages, losing seniority, and schedule changes. This government has a dedicated resource in the public service and must provide fair treatment to those workers,” said Buckley.
The techniques for cost savings suggested in the line-by-line document presents old ideas that have always facilitated cuts and privatization. Of all the provinces in Canada, for example, Ontario is already the lowest spender in Canada when it comes to the health care sector. It is important to remember that in Ontario, the growth of economy has outpaced government expenditure.
“We are facing a crisis situation in health care, education, and all public services in this province. Increasing competition within the public service to meet fabricated targets will only serve to reduce the services that Ontarians are already struggling to get,” said Buckley.
The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.
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For further information contact:
Meagan Perry
Director of Communications,
Ontario Federation of Labour
mperry@ofl-org.flywheelsites.com l 416-894-3456
