As GN job vacancies grow, use of contracting soars: NEU president

By the Government of Nunavut’s own numbers, the vacancy rate in government jobs has risen from a level of 17 per cent in March of 2005 to a level of 24 per cent in March of 2011.

By the same token, the number of service contracts issued by the GN — this includes contractors filling in for GN positions — has risen 300 per cent from fiscal year 2005-06 to fiscal year 2010-11.

Using actual numbers, 298 service contracts were issued in 2005-06 whereas 943 service contracts were issued in 2010-11.

For those of you interested in the statistics, the correlation between the number of service contracts issued and the GN vacancy rate is 0.92 — or very strong — between 2005 and 2011.

Many non-resident contractors are work for the GN at inexorable rates and fill positions that should otherwise be filled by Nunavut Employees Union members and excluded employees.

This is financially irresponsible and goes against the spirit of the Nunavut land claims agreement.

Premier Aariak’s GN Report Card issued a number of recommendations to senior officials. One of the recommendations is to “revise the classification system so it is more sensitive to market forces.”

This means compensate your staff fairly to encourage recruitment and retention. This is not the current reality at the GN.

In its last bargaining session with the NEU, the GN committed itself to review the current northern living allowance.

The Memorandum of Understanding states: “That report shall include recommendations for a Nunavut Northern Allowance formula.” A report was generated by a committee of NEU and HR officials.

The NEU accepts the findings of this report but the employer does not.

The report finds many shortcomings with the current system. It needs to be updated to reflect the dynamic nature of the Nunavut economy and the current socio-economic reality.

Again, the GN finds itself in the unenviable position of defending the indefensible.

Nunavut workers need support for their children. Nunavut workers need a level of protection and predictability with respect to the cost of living in Nunavut.

The employer’s offer of a one, one, two, and 2.75 per cent wage increase is insufficient. Given that these numbers do not match inflation and that the GN vacancy rate is growing, rather than shrinking, one might expect action to address this situation.

Senior officials at the GN Department of Finance and the GN Department of Human Resources need to address issues of vacancy, contractor cost, and general financial and human resource management by recruiting and adequately compensating its workforce.

If these issues had been previously addressed, Nunavummiut might have avoided the cost overrun fiasco at the Nunavut Housing Corp., where the current vacancy rate stands at 29 per cent!

Douglas Workman
President
Nunavut Employees Union

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