Quebec prepares for gov’t. workforce redesign • CPP changes • B.C. retailers share best H&S practices • Call for whistle-blower protection • Dalhousie U. favoured by researchers • Labour costs of a blackout • Business slowed by traffic • Maternity benefits urged for women entrepreneurs
Quebec prepares for gov’t. workforce redesign
Quebec City — Premier Jean Charest has sparked a public outcry among Quebec unions by announcing his intention to draft laws to make it easier to contract out some government services. The current government was created 40 years ago, Charest said in an open letter published last month in major Quebec newspapers. “Modernizing government is not a question of ideology or partisanship but a necessity born of our times,” he said. Since forming government in the spring, the Liberals have made an inventory of all government organizations, branches and programs, he said. “We can now debate the relevance of each.”
CPP changes
Ottawa — Maximum pensionable earnings under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for 2004 will be $40,500 — up from $39,900 in 2003. Contributors who earn more than $40,500 are not required or permitted to make additional contributions to the CPP. The increase reflects growing salaries, said the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. The employee and employer contribution rates for 2004 will remain unchanged at 4.95 per cent and the self-employed contribution rate will remain unchanged at 9.9 per cent. The maximum employer and employee contribution to the plan will be $1,831.50.
B.C. retailers share best H&S practices
Vancouver — To reduce injuries among young and new workers in the retail sector, 13 leading British Columbia retailers have come together to share their best health and safety practices in a new booklet. According to the B.C. Workers’ Compensation Board, 34 young workers are injured on the job every day and about five per cent of all claims come from the retail sector. Copies of the Health and Safety Guide For New Retail Workers can be downloaded at www.retailbc.org.
Call for whistle-blower protection
Ottawa — Almost 90 per cent of Canadians want the government to enact whistle-blower legislation to protect public-sector workers who expose corruption and wrongdoing in the government from reprisals, according to a survey by the Environics Research Group. The government’s public service integrity officer has also called for more protection for civil servants. Right now workers who want to reveal wrongdoing are offered limited confidentiality by the integrity officer, but under current regulations, any whistle-blower reports are copied to the deputy minister of the department involved. (For more on whistle-blowing, see our recent feature on the issue by clicking on the related articles link below.)
Dalhousie U. favoured by researchers
Halifax — Dalhousie University in Halifax was ranked the number one non-American university researchers would like to work at, according to a poll of more than 2,000 international scientists. Conducted by The Scientist magazine, the study asked respondents to compare 37 non-American universities. Dalhousie ranked number one because of its sense of community and co-operation despite intense competitive pressure. The University of Alberta, McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Toronto also made the list’s top 10.
Labour costs of a blackout
Ottawa — August’s power outage in Ontario and the eastern United States resulted in 2.4 million Canadian workers losing 26.4 million work hours. The blackout and subsequent energy conservation period also resulted in overtime in many sectors, with 7.5 million hours collectively logged.
Business slowed by traffic
Toronto — Traffic gridlock and public transportation issues can overshadow positive reasons for businesses to locate in Toronto, a survey by the Toronto Financial Services Alliance and Watson Wyatt reports. Multicultural diversity and recreational amenities were cited as positives by executives from 87 firms that either located to or from Toronto. Traffic, high corporate and personal taxes and real estate costs were listed as negatives.
Maternity benefits urged for women entrepreneurs
Ottawa — The federal government should make Employment Insurance maternity benefits available to self-employed women, a Liberal Party parliamentary task force recommends. Lack of maternity benefits is seen as a barrier for Canada’s estimated 821,000 self-employed women entrepreneurs who are not allowed to pay into the EI fund.
Quebec City — Premier Jean Charest has sparked a public outcry among Quebec unions by announcing his intention to draft laws to make it easier to contract out some government services. The current government was created 40 years ago, Charest said in an open letter published last month in major Quebec newspapers. “Modernizing government is not a question of ideology or partisanship but a necessity born of our times,” he said. Since forming government in the spring, the Liberals have made an inventory of all government organizations, branches and programs, he said. “We can now debate the relevance of each.”
CPP changes
Ottawa — Maximum pensionable earnings under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for 2004 will be $40,500 — up from $39,900 in 2003. Contributors who earn more than $40,500 are not required or permitted to make additional contributions to the CPP. The increase reflects growing salaries, said the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. The employee and employer contribution rates for 2004 will remain unchanged at 4.95 per cent and the self-employed contribution rate will remain unchanged at 9.9 per cent. The maximum employer and employee contribution to the plan will be $1,831.50.
B.C. retailers share best H&S practices
Vancouver — To reduce injuries among young and new workers in the retail sector, 13 leading British Columbia retailers have come together to share their best health and safety practices in a new booklet. According to the B.C. Workers’ Compensation Board, 34 young workers are injured on the job every day and about five per cent of all claims come from the retail sector. Copies of the Health and Safety Guide For New Retail Workers can be downloaded at www.retailbc.org.
Call for whistle-blower protection
Ottawa — Almost 90 per cent of Canadians want the government to enact whistle-blower legislation to protect public-sector workers who expose corruption and wrongdoing in the government from reprisals, according to a survey by the Environics Research Group. The government’s public service integrity officer has also called for more protection for civil servants. Right now workers who want to reveal wrongdoing are offered limited confidentiality by the integrity officer, but under current regulations, any whistle-blower reports are copied to the deputy minister of the department involved. (For more on whistle-blowing, see our recent feature on the issue by clicking on the related articles link below.)
Dalhousie U. favoured by researchers
Halifax — Dalhousie University in Halifax was ranked the number one non-American university researchers would like to work at, according to a poll of more than 2,000 international scientists. Conducted by The Scientist magazine, the study asked respondents to compare 37 non-American universities. Dalhousie ranked number one because of its sense of community and co-operation despite intense competitive pressure. The University of Alberta, McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Toronto also made the list’s top 10.
Labour costs of a blackout
Ottawa — August’s power outage in Ontario and the eastern United States resulted in 2.4 million Canadian workers losing 26.4 million work hours. The blackout and subsequent energy conservation period also resulted in overtime in many sectors, with 7.5 million hours collectively logged.
Business slowed by traffic
Toronto — Traffic gridlock and public transportation issues can overshadow positive reasons for businesses to locate in Toronto, a survey by the Toronto Financial Services Alliance and Watson Wyatt reports. Multicultural diversity and recreational amenities were cited as positives by executives from 87 firms that either located to or from Toronto. Traffic, high corporate and personal taxes and real estate costs were listed as negatives.
Maternity benefits urged for women entrepreneurs
Ottawa — The federal government should make Employment Insurance maternity benefits available to self-employed women, a Liberal Party parliamentary task force recommends. Lack of maternity benefits is seen as a barrier for Canada’s estimated 821,000 self-employed women entrepreneurs who are not allowed to pay into the EI fund.
