2014 Federal Budget: Let's Improve Services to Canadians and Stop the Attacks on Federal Employees

Close to 100 AJC members have been affected by cuts in the federal government in the last year alone.

On the eve of tomorrow's federal budget, the Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) hopes to see an end to the government's pattern of squeezing the public service.

In its last few budgets, the Harper government has slashed services to Canadians through cuts and austerity.

Close to 100 AJC members have been affected by cuts in the federal government in the last year alone.


Another issue of concern is the way this budget will be implemented: will we have another omnibus budget bill in the coming months? Will we witness further back-door draconian measures to pieces of legislation that have nothing to do with the budget bill?

Based on what we saw in last year's Bill C-4 (which basically gutted the Public Service Labour Relations Act with attacks on bargaining rights), the AJC, along with other federal bargaining agents, have every reason to be worried.

Will your rights as a public sector employee be further eroded? Let's hope not.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has hinted that youth joblessness and consumers' spending power will be some of his priorities in tomorrow's budget.

We hope he follows through on these promises and that the government invests in the economy and in its people, instead of reducing services that ultimately affects the most vulnerable among us.

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