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'All health care workers in our province who provide dedicated frontline care should be treated with dignity, respect, and equality by their government.' - Dwain Lingenfelter.
Regina (28 Oct. 2009) - Dwain Lingenfelter, Saskatchewan's NDP leader, has blasted the right-wing government of Premier Brad Wall for refusing to treat provincial health care workers with dignity and respect.
Criticizing the province's imposition of excessive essential services legislation and its refusal to engage in serious collective bargaining, Lingenfelter said:
“With its heavy-handed tactics, the Wall government remains unwilling to negotiate in good faith with frontline health providers. Leaving these women and men without a contract for 18 months and then providing a wage offer not even equal to the rate of inflation displays a shocking lack of respect for workers on the part of this government.”
Lingenfelter cited two key examples where essential services goes beyond any level required to protect the public.
First, he said the government was given written evidence in 1,300 cases where existing health care staffing levels fall below those that the government has chosen to deem essential for public safety.
Second, employees in the laboratory and radiology department at the Wakaw hospital were deemed "essential" even though their department routinely shuts down during vacation periods without any undue difficulties.
'Trampling rights'
“It’s clear that the Wall government cares far less about whether staffing levels are unsafe on a day-to-day basis in our health care facilities than it does about trampling on the rights of health care workers in our province,” Lingenfelter said.
“The Sask Party can no longer hide behind the auspices of public safety in defending its damaging legislation when its clear desire is an attack on the working people of Saskatchewan.”
Lingenfelter also criticized the province for making concession demands in bargaining that would see workers disabled by on-the-job accidents lose their right to re-employment if they fail to recover within three years.
“For a government that in its recent Throne Speech said it takes ‘considerable pride’ in assisting people with disabilities, this cruel and callous demand is a funny way of showing it,” Lingenfelter said.
“All health care workers in our province who provide dedicated frontline care should be treated with dignity, respect, and equality by their government. Sadly, the Wall government continues to attack them and erode their rights.”
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