Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Dozens of federal scientists warned of job cuts

OTTAWA — Defence Department workers and Agriculture Department scientists received notice last week that their jobs in Nova Scotia may be eliminated, according to federal unions.

Of those 62 federal employees, 38 are Defence Department workers, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Of those 38, 34 are in Halifax and four in Sydney.

Not all employees who receive the workforce adjustment letters will lose their job.

For example, 15 letters were sent out to the Defence Department’s construction and engineering department in Halifax, but only three positions will be eliminated, according to the Union of National Defence Employees.

Another 15 letters went out to communications workers at the Halifax dockyards.

Across the country, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada were the main departments hit last week.

PSAC reported that 235 Agriculture Department employees received notices while another 350 notices were reported by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, which represents science and technology employees.

In Nova Scotia, notices went out to 18 Agriculture Department employees, 10 of them in Truro, the unions reported.

It seems the Truro cuts will affect two programs — one for dairy and one for poultry — that work in conjunction with Dalhousie University and provide support to industry.

Scientists, researchers and commerce officers were among those to get letters.

There were several reports of notices going to Agriculture Department workers in Kentville.

Two are scientists, two are information technology workers and one is a biologist, according to the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

A technical staff worker from a small fruit-breeding program in Kentville also received notice, PSAC said.

Two agriculture commerce officers in Halifax also got notices.

Workforce adjustment notices were also sent out to 12 Transport Canada employees in Nova Scotia. Of those, nine are in Halifax, two in Port Hawkesbury and one in Yarmouth.

About half of the science and technology notices across the country were sent to workers in the National Capital Region of Ottawa and Gatineau.

According to PIPSC, some 79 scientists received notices, as did 76 IT specialists, 29 engineers, 14 biologists and five research managers.

Original Article
Source: thechronicleherald.ca
Author: PAUL McLEOD

No comments:

Post a Comment