'The government has indicated that they are going to cut up to 25% cent of the public service.' - Tom Mann.
Fredericton (25 Feb. 2009) - The New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees (NBUPPE/NUPGE) is running a public awareness campaign to warn provincial residents of the damage that widespread public sector cuts could cause.
The union has taken out full-page ads in provincial newspapers to make its point in advance of the provincial Liberal government's next budget — to be tabled in the legislature on March 17.
"The government has indicated that they are going to cut up to 25% cent of the public service," says Tom Mann, NBUPPE's executive director.
"In advance of the budget, we are going to be launching a public campaign to draw attention to the fact that like a lot of things in life, cutting 25% renders it ineffective," he told the Fredericton Gleaner.
The union represents more than 8,000 public and private employees across the province, including thousands of public employees.
'Things don't work'
To make the point about how damaging such cuts could be, the ads show the national anthem on a maple leaf background with one in every four words crossed out. A text line warns, "Cut 25% and things don't work so well".
Mann says the illustration is intended to alert provincial residents to the severity of the situation.
"If you sit at your kitchen table with only three legs (on the table) you can't do that either. The message is clear," he says.
"Many New Brunswickers really have no idea what the full complement of public services is that they access every day. Many of the services are invisible. They provide the glue that keeps our communities together."
The Liberal government of Premier Shawn Graham is talking about reducing the size of the civil service by attrition because up to 25% of public employees are expected to retire over the next five years. NUPGE
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