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BCGEU commends apology from head of B.C. Public Service

Report includes important recommendations resulting from 3 Ministry of Health workers being fired in 2012.

Vancouver (06 June 2017) — The B.C. Government & Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) commends the apology from the Deputy Minister to the Premier and Kim Henderson, head of the B.C. Public Service to those affected by the terminations of Ministry of Health employees in 2012.

In the April 2017 report, Misfire: The 2012 Ministry of Health Employment Terminations and Related Matters, the B.C. Ombudsperson documented in great detail the failures identified in the Ministry of Health terminations and made important recommendations to address these failures.

Following Ministry of Health firings, recommendations include organizational reconciliation 

The BCGEU/NUPGE welcomed these recommendations and looks forward to a continued discussion aimed at addressing individual, as well as systemic, issues that will increase fairness for workers and improve public administration. This includes recommendations to review standards of conduct for public service employees to assist in assessing conflicts of interest, improve standards for human resource investigations, and to update the Public Service Act.

In support of Justice Cromwell's work to develop a reparation process, the BCGEU/NUPGE has begun working with the Ministry of Health to develop and implement an organizational reconciliation program as recommended by the B.C. Ombudsperson. This program will address initiatives to support employee morale and engagement in the Ministry.

The BCGEU/NUPGE has retained legal counsel to protect the interests of the 3 workers fired — Ramsay Hamdi, David Scott and Linda Kayfish (on behalf of Roderick MacIsaac) — as well as all affected unionized employees. This will ensure that the implementation of the recommendations related to individuals named in the Ombudsperson's report are handled in a fair and expeditious manner.