(Halifax) – With 5,600 hospital workers poised for possible job action, the Canadian Union of Public Employees is questioning the health minister’s timing of a so-called ‘white paper’ on health care.
CUPE Nova Scotia President Danny Cavanagh says, “By raising the specter of more private health care, is Chris d’Entremont trying to send a message to hospital workers that their jobs could be threatened? That’s certainly how it looks to us.”
Rather than working with us to try and avert a strike, he appears to be inviting more anger from health care workers by suggesting a larger role for the private sector in our system.
“The evidence is clear from other provinces like B.C. and Alberta. Privatization of health care means more contracting out of public sector jobs, which means lower wages and inferior working conditions. That’s where the savings come from,” says Cavanagh.
Nova Scotians see through the hypocrisy of this. They know that private clinics will simply siphon away health resources from our public system and actually increase wait times.
“CUPE suggests the minister use his energy more wisely right now and start to work with the unions to find a negotiated solution in this dispute. He should seek advice from the front line workers who could be walking a picket line in a week or so,” says Cavanagh.
For information:
Danny Cavanagh
President, CUPE Nova Scotia
(902) 957-0822 (Cell)
John McCracken
CUPE Communications Rep.
(902) 455-4180 (o)