Jobs targeted as environment ministry struggles with budget pressures

As the public service waits anxiously for the provincial government to table a new budget Sept. 1, Ministry of Environment officials are working on plans for job cuts of 30 to 40 full time positions for this year.

Among the ministry's important programs and services, Parks and Environmental Stewardship appear to face the most pressure.

The Ministry says it's trying to minimize the impacts of the job cuts to ensure that everyone has a job to land in to avoid layoffs. They are encouraging staff to participate in the Opportunities and Skills Database.

However, Ministry officials cancelled at the last minute a recent labour-management where union representatives could have asked more detailed questions about the job cuts plan and its impact on front-line workers.

While layoffs from the job cuts may be minimized, BCGEU remains concerned about:
• the permanent shrinkage and loss of valuable services provided by the environment ministry;
• potential for impossible workloads for remaining staff; and
• the economic impact of job losses on communities that are already hurting from the downturn in the economy.

The union will continue to communicate with the Ministry about how the cuts will be implemented. We will be meeting again soon after the Sept. 1 budget is tabled, and we will keep you informed of developments. We will be pushing to limit any layoffs, and will be ready to defend your placement rights should any layoffs occur.