Manila Tread for English Speakers - join here!

[scos]

It just keeps getting better and better...

Just saw this in the Korean thread, enjoy...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-threatens-to-discipline-diplomats-taking-job-action/article10818080/

 

[Steph C]

It just keeps getting better and better...

Just saw this in the Korean thread, enjoy...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-threatens-to-discipline-diplomats-taking-job-action/article10818080/

(>_<) Ruh-roh..

Are the visa officers in Manila just working there or are they Canadian Citizens? From people's description they were Filipinas not Canadians.. still doesn't mean they're not Canadian. And if not, I can't see how it would be expected to pay a Canadian living wage over a Philippine living wage. If they're paying Canadian wages then it defies the point of outsourcing when they could be creating jobs in Canada. Have people in Canada review the files and have a small select group doing background checks and taking correspondance in the Philippines.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

It just keeps getting better and better...

Just saw this in the Korean thread, enjoy...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-threatens-to-discipline-diplomats-taking-job-action/article10818080/

As a member of an organized labour union I support this strike action.

People in the private sector don't realize that conservative governments intentionally target unions as a means of removing a workers power over negotiating the value of their own labour. What is bad for unionized workers is worse for those in the private sector.

 

[scos]

But unfortunately we will be the ones to suffer from it.

 

[scos]

1000th post, wheee! 8)

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

(>_<) Ruh-roh..

Are the visa officers in Manila just working there or are they Canadian Citizens? From people's description they were Filipinas not Canadians.. still doesn't mean they're not Canadian. And if not, I can't see how it would be expected to pay a Canadian living wage over a Philippine living wage. If they're paying Canadian wages then it defies the point of outsourcing when they could be creating jobs in Canada. Have people in Canada review the files and have a small select group doing background checks and taking correspondance in the Philippines.

It was my understanding that there is a 3rd party contractor that prescreens applications on behalf of the embassy so as the applications arrive to a VO they are all complete and just need to be processed. Embassies are Canadian soil and if anyone does any work within one would have to have the proper designation or authority to work there as they would if they were in Canada. So this would make sense as to why the foreign service workers want equal pay to their Canadian counterparts.

 

[jarry96]

Unions served their purpose in the early part of the last century in Canada. However, until recent decades they got out of hand. Unions that stand against profits are anti-capitalist. Anti-capitalist socialism means poverty for all. Unions that insist on inefficiency and slow work reduce a country's competitiveness. It is essential today in this global business environment that institutionalized inefficiencies be reduced and productivity improved so that Canada can continue to raise its standard of living.

The fact that some have joked that the CIC is becoming like the Canada Post Office says it all. In Canada you will find that we hate to go to the post office because the workers seem to purposefully work in slow motion.

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

I have to side with canadianjeepguy here, I too am an organized worker, and activist with our union, besides sitting on the exec of our local, and a several other hats within our local union.

I to support or brothers and sisters in their struggle for fairness, regardless of where they are posted the same job should be worth the same money, no other factors with standing be they sex, age, location, race, religion etc. If the Federal government can do this to "their" people, then un-organized workers should brave to have to done to them two fold at the least.

Union soapbox aside, most of the incompetence we are discussing is driven from the top down, in a race to fix quotas and stats, to reflect better on managers and ministers. One thing to keep in mind. When things are good, the minister is a hero, when the department is in the crapper heads roll. And seldom is it the execs, that feel it.

So I will continue to be paitient for the time being at least. But I do reserve the right to piss and moan and bitch and point the stink finger of blame at will, they took my cash, that is an acceptance of a contract to perform a service within an allocated time, in a (semi) efficient manner. So as far as I am concerned, not only am I a natural citizen of this country with that right, more importantly I am a paying customer.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

But unfortunately we will be the ones to suffer from it.

Yes. That is the unfortunate result when government refuses to negotiate in good faith. They did this with PSAC as well as CUPW and even Air Canada which is not even a Crown Corporation anymore.

This Harper government is not Conservative by Canadian standards (the old Progressive Conservatives). They are Republicans or worse still soft Libertarians. The worst thing that this country has done was to give them a majority government. They have used it to circumvent the democratic process with omnibus bills and prorogation. They steal the rights of Canadians through legislation and slash access to government services. If the world economy had not gone in the tank I'm sure he would have deregulated our financial industry and then we would have been as screwed as Greece.

These guys have to be voted out.

 

[Steph C]

So the other day I went to the Post Office as a paying customer.. I had 3 parcels to mail for a total bill of about $100. The post office closes at 5pm and I barely get off work in time to rush down there and then realize it had moved across the street.. anyways, after parking, paying, and running across the street I walk in the door at 4:58 and they just look at me. "But we close in 2 minutes.." they said. Yes, you close in 2 minutes.. I said.. and I have some parcels to send!

What other business, besides one that is government operated, would complain to a customer that they close in two minutes? If you close at 5, lock your doors at 5 and serve the rest in line - this isn't rocket science. If they didn't want my business I would just go to UPS or somewhere that was open. They obviously don't run their store on a business model, which would be to serve their paying customer.

By the way, I was really upset when they ordered the postal workers back to work. It's as if the government is trying to take away the people's right to protest. We should all have that right.

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

Unions served their purpose in the early part of the last century in Canada. However, until recent decades they got out of hand. Unions that stand against profits are anti-capitalist. Anti-capitalist socialism means poverty for all. Unions that insist on inefficiency and slow work reduce a country's competitiveness. It is essential today in this global business environment that institutionalized inefficiencies be reduced and productivity improved so that Canada can continue to raise its standard of living.

The fact that some have joked that the CIC is becoming like the Canada Post Office says it all. In Canada you will find that we hate to go to the post office because the workers seem to purposefully work in slow motion.

Jarry,

Tell us about workers rights in the Phils' then tell me me how the unions have served there purpose here. Maybe you enjoy working for a minimum wage, seven days a week, with zero benefits. Maybe you would enjoy working without safety regulations or seeing 12 year old kids "allowed" to have full time jobs.

If it is so sh**y here, why leave the Phils'? You would do well to shut up and learn just how many benefits you enjoy at your non organized work places that came from the labour movements actions. Here is hoping you never get injured on the job, because if you do, you can thank the big bad unions for the help you will get afterwards. Even if you are not an organized worker. Maybe you should take some time and learn how governments and big business tried to ride rough shod over this continent at the beginning of the last century, and compare that to what they are doing at the beginning of this century.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Unions served their purpose in the early part of the last century in Canada. However, until recent decades they got out of hand. Unions that stand against profits are anti-capitalist. Anti-capitalist socialism means poverty for all. Unions that insist on inefficiency and slow work reduce a country's competitiveness. It is essential today in this global business environment that institutionalized inefficiencies be reduced and productivity improved so that Canada can continue to raise its standard of living.

The fact that some have joked that the CIC is becoming like the Canada Post Office says it all. In Canada you will find that we hate to go to the post office because the workers seem to purposefully work in slow motion.

You're a pretty ingnorant person. Before you make generalized statements based on outdated stereotypes you should get educated on what unions are for , what they have done for all workers unionized or not.
Canada Post is one of the most efficient public post offices in the world. It has made profits in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the last 17 years. Efforts to privatize and/or deregulate public post offices internationally have failed. Profit driven industries exist only to make profits. The welfare and equity of their workers is a liability. If they cut your pay to 5 cents an hour they would still find a way to cut it to 1 cent.

 

[Steph C]

Then there's the BC ferries :-X

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

Then there's the BC ferries :-X

You can thank the Glen Clark government for starting the whole mess. Fast Cats (more like boat anchors) then hiring David Hahn (really no one in Canada could be found for that job?) and down the stink hole it went.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

So the other day I went to the Post Office as a paying customer.. I had 3 parcels to mail for a total bill of about $100. The post office closes at 5pm and I barely get off work in time to rush down there and then realize it had moved across the street.. anyways, after parking, paying, and running across the street I walk in the door at 4:58 and they just look at me. "But we close in 2 minutes.." they said. Yes, you close in 2 minutes.. I said.. and I have some parcels to send!

What other business, besides one that is government operated, would complain to a customer that they close in two minutes? If you close at 5, lock your doors at 5 and serve the rest in line - this isn't rocket science. If they didn't want my business I would just go to UPS or somewhere that was open. They obviously don't run their store on a business model, which would be to serve their paying customer.

By the way, I was really upset when they ordered the postal workers back to work. It's as if the government is trying to take away the people's right to protest. We should all have that right.

What day did you go? Was it a Canada Post retail outlet? End of day across the country is 5pm sharp. It has been that way for over 50 years. If you hold back the pick up that delays the truck returning to offload the mail which in turn delays the induction and loading of the outgoing mail across the country. If you are living in a major city with traffic problems this compounds the logistics even more.
You are more than welcome to use FedEx or UPS but it will cost you 40% more and the items won't arrive at their destination any faster.