Do not trust Tony Clement or anything he says. He is serving the delights of his leader.
Clement is a left over from Mike Harris. That alone says a lot. He and Stevie boy figure that if they go after the public service they will get accolades from their supporters, mostly angry disenfranchised people.
The sick days or personal days is something negotiated long ago with unions. It's sort of along the same lines as before unions people worked 6 days a week and often over 40 hours without being paid for it. Holidays.....were for the most part unheard of. Harper is feeling desperate because of his new contender and the polls......not to mention all his party's problems, resignations and Harper's own sad personality which people have not only got tired of but that new contender in the next election actually has a personality. The attacking of the public service will keep Harper's base supporters in line but it won't be enough, not now.
Personally I don't agree with sick days when someone isn't sick, but I also realize that it was an agreement and the only real way to change it is 'negotiation'. If you use a big stick.....the people you are beating with it will just find a bigger one. Harper isn't a statesman, he's a divider.
I also wonder why women and men get months off after having a child? I know a woman who works for the government and after 4 children she is half the time at home and being paid for it. I'm sure she is not the only one. Her and her husband (he has an average job) have a fine fairly new home and they also have two properties they rent out rooms to students. I figure that if you're going to have a child......save for it.......prepare for it....and then take the time off on your dime.
I also wonder how much actual 'work' politicians put into their day. They're paid good money and golden handshake pensions few other see and yet......we really have no idea what they do on a daily basis, or if it's worth what he is getting paid. There's a politician near me who spends most of his morning in a coffee shop and the rest on his farm. He got such a hassle from others about not working doing his political work that he moved to a new coffee shop to avoid the criticism.
My point is........too many people seem to believe they have entitlement......while others work to make ends meet and can't afford a day off.
"is there a possibility this sudden "initiative" could be a ploy to divert the public's attention away from all the current troubles the Conservatives have? "
No, no, no.
No way. These guys are much too honest to play such games.
These guys are much too honest to play such games.
I just choked on my coffee!!!!!!!!!!! Gheesh!!!!!!!
"but not OK when the Federal conservatives do it??"
I think you are missing the point. Most Canadians - from all political parties - want public servants to be paid fairly with fair benefits including "sick days". Abuse should be stopped.
The problem is that Harper has been in power for seven years and NOTHING had been done about it but talk... talk... talk. Look at the long list of negotiated agreements in the last four years with public servants. Where do you see the government doing anything to solve the "sick days" problem? Where?
Don't waste your time looking. It is not there. Talk, talk, talk... but no balls to solve the problem!
"it would have been defeated by the other parties."
????
Do you have any idea how the system works?
Contract negotiations between the Treasury Board and the civil servants represented by their unions have nothing to do with Parliament and the opposition parties.
The only time it goes to Parliament is when a law is presented by the government to prevent or end a strike (Postal workers, Air Canada for example)
The point some conservative partisan supporters are missing is that most Canadians from all political orientation agree with the Minister that abuse must be contained. He stated the problem has been growing (it was not there before, now it is there and needs to be solved).
The question raised had nothing to do with taking action against offenders. It was: why did it take the Harper government so long to recognize that growing problem and act on it.
The next question is: will they in fact act on it or just talk, talk, talk, and drag their feet until just before the next election when they will force a strike for government workers on the issue with their "get tough against unions" attitude trying to buy votes?
"Would the liberals ever do anything about this?:"
Actually, you should ask that question to Mr Clement. According to his statement, and assuming his numbers are accurate, this is a relatively new problem when was not there before but has been growing in recent years.
I went back to the Mulroney years and could not find anything anywhere about the problem.
"Clement is wrong"
???
It would be nice if he could come up with actual numbers to back up his statements.
At this time, people seem to support the initiative without having too many facts to back it up.
It should not be that difficult to tell Canadians (for example): in 2012, absenteeism in the public sector was 18.2 days a year (compared to 6.7 in the private sector).
In 2011 it was ...
In 2010 it was ...
in 2009 it was ...
in 2008 it was ...
in 2007 it was ...
in 2006 it was ...
in 2005 (under the last Liberal government) it was ...
Knowing the facts we help all Canadians (regardless of political orientation) to better understand what he meant when he referred to the problem as "growing".
Why speculate?
Why speculate?
Because it allows people's 'imaginations' to run wild and then that creates anger and that is the foundation for Harper followers.
Harper or his handlers who coach his minions, know how to psychologically handle the masses. It's nothing new, politicians and dictators have been doing it since the days of the Romans....Hitler was a master at it. Just this week Harper was at the EU and talking about the 'terrorist' countries of Iran and Palestine and propping up Israel. He definitely has several agendas and he's going to pound away at them and manipulate it at home and across the pond, but the one thing they will be missing is .......the truth.
Worth listening to:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Ottawa/Audio/ID/2390712066/
Clement: "absenteeism rate of 18.2 days a year"
Does that include unpaid sick days? long term disability?
