Nurses across Alberta will be holding a ‘day of action’ protesting the province’s plan to reduce salaries.
The GoA is looking at a three per cent rollback as they try and reduce the province’s debt.
“At a time when Alberta has $93 billion in debt, we must keep our focus on the long term fiscal health of the province, as well as the health of Albertans. We must control our spending – and that includes public sector compensation,” said Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance.
The United Nurses of Alberta, the union which represents over 30,000 healthcare professionals, says this is an attack on nurses and they plan on fighting the decision.
Twenty-seven hospitals across the province, including the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, will see nurses picket outside against the rollback on August 11.
This includes at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre.
“The roll backs proposed by the government are an insult to nurses and won’t help Alberta recruit and keep health care workers, which is what we need to keep hospital beds open,” read a statement from the UNA.
“Nurses want to able to focus on safe patient care. But that’s hard to do when hospitals are under- staffed and the government is attacking nurses and health care workers.”
Local nurses will also be walking from the hospital to MLA Tany Yao’s office near Franklin and Hardin from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.