Health Minister’s Comments on Privatization of Support Services Contradict Pre-Election Position: CUPE

[Aug 13, 2008 11:28 AM]

REGINA: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is questioning recent statements made by Minister of Health Don McMorris that confirmed the provincial government's upcoming Patient-First Review of the health care system would include consideration of the privatization of health support services.

Tom Graham, president of CUPE Saskatchewan, said that the health minister's recent statements contradict those made by Saskatchewan Party MLA Dan D'Autremont prior to last fall's provincial election.

The August 24, 2007, edition of the Regina Leader-Post reported that D'Autremont said his party's plan for an efficiency review of the health care system "won't include privatization of such services because the party has already determined there would be no efficiency to be had."

"The evidence is clear that those jurisdictions that have contracted out health support services, like laundry, housekeeping, and dietary services, have not realized cost efficiencies or improved patient care," said Graham. "In fact, the privatization of these services has resulted in the slashing of wages and benefits, higher staff turnover, lower quality care and increased rates of hospital infections."

"The Saskatchewan Party's pre-election position recognized there were no efficiencies to be gained by privatizing health support services. Why the sudden reversal?" asked Graham.

The CUPE Saskatchewan president also said that privatizing health support services would only exacerbate the recruitment and retention challenges currently facing the province's health regions by introducing uncertainty about job security and future wage rates.

Graham said CUPE is also concerned the review will open the door to a much larger private sector role in Saskatchewan's health care system even though the Saskatchewan Party campaigned on a platform of improving publicly-funded and publicly-administered health care.

CUPE represents 27,000 public sector workers in Saskatchewan, including 13,000 health care workers.

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For more information, contact:
Tom Graham 757-1009

 

CSU