N.S. government to go ahead with job relocation
Only five unionized employees have agreed to move.
CBC News
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 4:20 PM AT
Last Updated: Jul 6, 2012 9:04 AM AT
Related
Related Stories
Dozens of Nova Scotia civil servants have refused to follow their jobs to rural Nova Scotia, but the provincial government says it's proceeding with its plan to move government departments out of Halifax and other areas of the province.
Only 5 out of 71 unionized employees have agreed to move. The deadline to accept relocation was late Wednesday night.
The other 66 either quit or asked for a placement elsewhere in the government.
Under a protection guaranteed in their collective agreement, civil servants who refused relocation were given a list of vacancies from which to choose an alternative job.
Now some civil service managers are considering constructive dismissal suits against the government, reported the CBC's Paul Withers.
The Nova Scotia Government and General and Employees Union said they're not surprised few people agreed to move.
"Their families are working here. Their kids are here, and they weren't prepared to move out of the HRM," said union president Joan Jessome.
Premier Darrell Dexter said the province would recruit and hire new employees willing to take jobs in Digby, Shelburne and Colchester counties.
"So it means we won't be paying relocation costs. We expect, in fact, that it will be cost neutral over the short term and less expensive over the long term," he said.
Government documents show the province had pegged the original cost of relocating close to 100 people at between $1.5 and $2.4 million.
"There might be some people if we're recruiting that we might have to pay something to relocate if they are in a specialty position. But by and large it looks like it will actually be cheaper," said Dexter.
Many of the jobs being moved out of Halifax are in the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
"It makes more sense for the Department Aquaculture to be in the heartland of aquaculture," said Dexter.
"Prosperity in our province means prosperity in all parts of our province."
In March, the New Democratic Party announced in the throne speech it will relocate department head offices to rural Nova Scotia.
Share Tools
Latest Nova Scotia News Headlines
- Judge scolds 'flabby, sad generation' for skipping jury duty
- The chief justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court is demanding to know why 95 people, or 40 per cent of prospective jurors, were not in court Tuesday for the start of a five-day trial. more »
- Mooseheads manhandle Knights at Memorial Cup
- Martin Frk had a hat trick and an assist and Darcy Ashley also scored twice and had an assist of his own Tuesday as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the London Knights 9-2 in the final round-robin game for both teams at the MasterCard Memorial Cup. more »
- Dartmouth man reports roofers not wearing safety gear
- A man who lives in a Dartmouth highrise says he frequently sees roofers without safety gear on as they build a new subdivision nearby. more »
- Man electrocuted in Halifax industrial accident
- Halifax Regional Police say a man has died after being electrocuted while working at a building on Chain Lake Drive. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Search for Oklahoma tornado survivors nearly complete
- Rescue workers raced to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children. more »
- Senate sends Duffy expense audit for 2nd internal review
- The Senate decided to send Senator Mike Duffy's audit report back to its internal committee for a second review, despite objections from the Liberal Senate leader, who argued the RCMP should be tasked with the job. more »
- Kids from levelled Oklahoma schools recount deadly tornado
- Children from two Oklahoma schools levelled Monday by a powerful tornado are recounting what it was like to survive the "loud" and "scary" twister, while rescuers near the end of their search for any other remaining survivors or bodies. more »
- Only 1 set of human remains found at Millard farm, police say
- Hamilton police have confirmed that they are dealing with only a single set of human remains at the Waterloo region farm of Dellen Millard. more »
- Rob Ford faces more calls to address crack allegations
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went back to work after a holiday weekend, but he wasn't talking about an alleged video that two published reports say shows him smoking what appears to be a crack pipe. more »
- Judge scolds 'flabby, sad generation' for skipping jury duty
- Children's mouths allegedly taped shut at N.S. school
- Man electrocuted in Halifax industrial accident
- Dartmouth man reports roofers not wearing safety gear
- Annapolis Valley apple orchard quarantined
- Sudden death of Digby man investigated
- Pink Shirt Day co-founder seeks Tory nomination
- Halifax man rescued after 24 hours stranded in the woods
- Patience urged for former Bowater plant renewal
