Canda Cuts Meat Inspectors

It looks like things are getting even worse in Canada as the calls to tighten their belts and keep a reign on government spending have led to more job cuts. This time it is the federal food safety inspectors division that will be losing workers. About 100 inspectors from the federal food safety inspectors are going to be cut out over the next three years as part of a budget slashing measure.

Adding to cuts to food safety the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expected to layoff another 200 workers in the same time period. All in all these cuts are expected to save about $56 million over the next three years. Those cuts are part of a serious movement, within the conservative part of the Canadian budget to cut back on government spending significantly. Other areas are also experiencing significant cuts. Some of you may recall our earlier coverage of cuts to the Canadian Space Agency, but for those of you who missed out on it here is an excerpt that will get you up to speed in no time at all:

“It looks like job cuts are not just going to only impact those of us in terra firma, but those people who work above us. Not just in terms of income or position, but physically above us in space. In Canada the Canadian Space Agency has made an announcement about its budget that will lead to layoffs. The administration of the Canadian Space Agency has made in very clear that if its budget stays the way that it is the agency will have to make serious cuts to programs, and that those cuts are going to come in the form of staffing.

The agency is expected to cut back on its staffing by about 10 percent over the next three years. Of course the Canadian Space Agency is not the only one expected to make these kinds of cuts. The Finance Minster is looking to make most of the agencies that get money directly from Canada’s federal government are expected to make these kinds of cuts by the end of the 2014 – 2015 fiscal year. For the Canadian Space Agency this means that about $29.5 million will need to be cut in order to make ends meet and hit the budget reduction targets.”

Before that major cuts were also made to the city of Toronto, with mixed success. For those of you missed out our earlier coverage on the failed attempt at a voluntary layoff programs in the city of Toronto that led to more problems than solutions:

“Ah, the voluntary layoff program, it is an employers last ditch chance to make needed cuts to their staff without having to look like the bad guy. As the economic downturn continues to go on with little to no signs of improvement  more companies and governments are giving them a shot, with mixed results. In some cases older employees may take the buyout to extend retirement, but when you have a younger workforce you will often find them less willing to go quietly into the night.

The City of Toronto tried a voluntary layoff plan this year, which recently ended. The city was hoping that this program would help them to shed 700 positions. If that sounds more than a little pie in the sky to you then you are not alone. The harsh light of reality has come shining in on that number. As the program came to a close the city found that it had not the desired 700 workers lining up to be laid off but instead only 230 employees who were willing to give up their civil service jobs and take part in voluntary layoff program.

City Manager Joe Pennachetti, the brains behind the 2012 budget for the city, had hoped to find that the voluntary layoff plan gave the city some substantial savings, but apparently he failed to take a few things into consideration. One of those things was the fact that a fair number of positions could not be eliminated because of legal obligations to provide certain services to the citizens of the city.”