Released on March 28, 1996
Lorne Calvert, minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Public ServiceCommission, said the Government of Saskatchewan's 1996-97 budget
introduced today has succeeded in reducing the public service while
minimizing the impacts of reductions on its employees.
"Reductions have been necessary to achieve the objectives of providing
affordable and effective government," Calvert said.
An early retirement package was made available to assist in reducing
the size of the public service. Other approaches employed were the
elimination of vacancies, attrition and redeployment. Redeployment
means that employees who received layoff notices today may be moved
into vacant positions or positions whose previous incumbents have been
accepted for the early retirement package.
"The Government of Saskatchewan has approached this task with care and
consideration for its employees," Calvert said.
"The co-operative working partnership between the government and the
Saskatchewan Government Employees' Union (SGEU) has resulted in the
successful management of position deletions with a focus on minimizing
disruption to in-scope employees."
Calvert said the layoff notices follow difficult and necessary
financial decisions which government has been forced to make.
Of the 544 employees who received layoff notices today:
302 will take advantage of the early retirement package;
65 out-of-scope employees will receive severance; and
the balance are in-scope employees who can exercise redeployment,
bumping or other options.
One hundred and twenty-five vacant positions were also abolished in
today's budget.
Efforts will continue over the next few weeks to match early retirement
applicants with employees whose positions were abolished today.
Both in-scope and out-of-scope employees who received layoff notices
today will have various options based on their particular
circumstances. These options include:
early or normal retirement for those who qualify;
redeployment;
inclusion on the Government of Saskatchewan Service-Wide Re-
employment List; or
severance.
In-scope employees whose positions were abolished also have the option
to bump into other positions occupied by those with less seniority, as
provided for by the terms of the SGEU collective agreement. The
bumping process will take about three months to complete, Calvert said.
"We expect that by the conclusion of the process, there will be few, if
any, in-scope employees who will be without an option for continued
employment," Calvert said.
Calvert said the Public Service Commission estimates net savings from
position elimination to be approximately $15 million per year.
Calvert said employees who accept the early retirement program will
agree to a clause which prohibits them entering into any form of
employment or contractual relationship with government departments,
Crown corporations, boards, agencies or commissions while they are
receiving a pension under the program.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Shaw
Chair
Public Service Commission
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-7552