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Nova Scotia highway workers (Local 1867) have forced Nova
Scotia’s Tory government to back down on a scheme to privatize highway
maintenance work in the province.
“This is welcome news
not only for the highway workers who are committed to keeping our roads safe,
but also for Nova Scotia taxpayers,” said local president Gareth Drinnan. “It’s about time the government came to its
senses and realized that public sector workers can do a better job and save
taxpayers money.”
The minister never
explained his about-turn on this issue, but Drinnan cited the highway workers’
Roads Are Not a Private Matter campaign as the defining factor.
“Across the province,
our members were knocking on doors, approaching politicians and soliciting
community leaders for support,” he said.
“Nova Scotians were informed about what was going on and there was no
way the minister could ignore it.”
Despite this welcome
news, the highway workers remain skeptical about the Tories’ true agenda and
expect this government to unleash a new set of contracting out schemes in the
future. Drinnan said his local will continue to fight future privatization proposals.