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Despite promises that federal public service job cuts wouldn't affect service levels, the Conservative government received 10,000 complaints about problems with service at the Employment Insurance program.
Ottawa (11 Dec. 2014) — The Conservative government is finally hearing the complaints of hundreds of Canadians who have had enough of poor service, unanswered telephone calls and processing delays relating to their unemployment insurance files The Globe and Mail is reporting.
After massive layoffs in the federal public service, Conservatives decide to rehire 400 positions
When the Conservative government was last elected, it promised to elminate 19,200 jobs from the federal public sector. Over the last three years, the Conservatives have cut the workforce by 26,000 jobs and are on track to eliminate another 8,900 jobs. The Conservatives promised that the job cuts would not affect the quality of service provided by the federal government.
Yet, recently Employment Minister Jason Kenney was questioned by the NDP Member of Parliament Robert Chisholm about the negative performance statistics regarding the quality and timeliness of service for Canadians seeking assistance with their EI claims. Chisholm was questioning the declining performance for processing times and for increased delays in responding to telephone calls.
As The Globe and Mail reports, 10,000 complaints were lodged in the last year relating to Canadians' experience with the Employment Insurance program.
Conservatives hire temporary workers to address 10,000 complaints about EI processing times and delayed assistance
On the eve of a federal election, the federal government has decided to hire 400 temporary public service workers to address the 10,000 complaints filed.
In an interview, Steve McQuaig, national executive vice-president of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union said that the federal government "has a pattern of hiring temporary staff when the EI backlog becomes too large." He goes on to say that "staffing cuts can hurt government revenue since fewer workers are assigned to enforce program rules and collect over-payments."
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