The union representing thousands of public sector employees in Manitoba says its come to an agreement with the province to prevent layoffs, weeks after premier Brian Pallister said non-essential workforce reductions — potentially including layoffs — were needed to shore up funds for the fight against COVID-19.
The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) says the province agreed to provide a no-layoff clause for this fiscal year, in exchange for all civil service employees taking five unpaid days off.
Exemptions include those working in institutional settings such as corrections or Selkirk Mental Health Centre, areas critical to pandemic response such as nursing stations, and seasonal employees.