Feds Must Stop Relying On Temps

"There is nothing wrong with casual employment, but I am hugely disappointed if they end up in full-time positions," said Fazley Siddiq, director of Dalhousie University's public administration programs. "The government should have national competitions for these jobs, tour the country for talent and leave no stone unturned." Most blame the government's archaic staffing system, which takes months to fill a permanent job. Barrados said she isn't concerned about the number of terms and casuals, who typically account for 12 per cent of the workforce, but rather the growing proportion of this temporary workforce being recruited into permanent jobs. A newly released audit revealed 80 per cent of the 86,000 full-time employees hired between 1998 and 2006 had previously worked in government. The 13,800 term employees working for departments last year were hired in short-term contracts that could last years. They pay union dues and can apply to any internal competitions open exclusively to public servants. Terms who work for three years in one department must be given permanent jobs. Federal unions have long complained that departments abused terms and casuals as a way to "screen" people without hiring them. They predicted the problem would get worse under the new Public Service Modernization Act, which changed the definition of "merit" as part of its reforms to speed up staffing. Under the act, managers no longer have to look for the very best candidate for a job. Finding someone qualified and competent is enough. But John Gordon, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the unions are braced for a backlash over the hiring of 3,000 new university and college graduates by March. He said many workers, whether in temporary or permanent jobs, worry these new high-flyers will be fast-tracked into the best jobs. http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=4f7ddb02-5b51-4b10-b986-8d7721f08f1c&k=39736

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