One of B.C.’s biggest unions is calling on the province to allow its employees to work from home due to the rising cost of fuel.
The B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) says that in order to help conserve fuel and save on the cost of gas, employees, where possible, should get to work from home full-time.
“The increasing price of gas places an undue burden on workers across the province,” BCGEU president Paul Finch said in a statement.
“The provincial government has an opportunity to help alleviate that burden by allowing workers the flexibility to work from home. In addition to lessening the pain workers are feeling at the pump, this move would help reduce emissions and congestion.”
The BCGEU says it is joining the call by the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) asking governments to implement the International Energy Agency’s recommendations for reducing demand for oil and gas.
The BCGEU says it is also asking the B.C. government to explore options to provide temporary relief for workers who need to travel “extensively” for work, such as home support and community outreach workers, as they may not have many options for public transportation if the fuel prices remain high.
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The war in Iran has driven up fuel prices in recent weeks, with no relief in sight.
In Metro Vancouver, the average cost of gas is hovering around $2 a litre on Monday.
Several provinces, including Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick, retain more flexible hybrid work rules for government workers, but other provinces have mandated employees back to the office full-time.
As of Jan. 5, Ontario provincial government employees are expected to work in the office five days per week.
Alberta’s public service also returned to full-time, in-office work in February to “strengthen collaboration, accountability and service delivery for Albertans,” a spokesperson for the Alberta government said.
The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with more than 95,000 members in almost every community and economic sector, including nearly 35,000 public service workers.
— With files from The Canadian Press
How about a free bus pass instead? This way they can help their fellow unionized transit workers, and commute to work for free!
It’s not even a big loss, as only 2.8% VRTC is paid by fares, the rest is local taxes, provincial taxes, gas taxes, and advertising.
Or maybe they just don’t want to go to work…
So it’s all about the BCGU workers and everyone else just has to get on with the higher prices for everything not just the fuel and energy prices. Eby and this NDP have completely ruined this province with their policies
And the rest of BC who doesn’t make a Government wage still has to drive to work. Get off your butts and get into the office like the rest of us basic wageworkers. Just because you’re in a union doesn’t mean you’re exempt from the real world effects.
If you can’t make it in to work, guess you don’t need the job that badly in the first place.
de·ni·al·ist
/dəˈnī(ə)ləst/
noun
a person who does not acknowledge the truth of a concept or proposition that is supported by the majority of scientific or historical evidence; a denier. Also known as Doug Brekfaust from West Vancouver, Canada.
Doug Brekfaust – Yawn you can’t put a proper sentence together. Yawn you’re a racist white nationalist POS. Yawn you’re a pathetic denialist that can’t handle the truth so you deflect because that’s all you can do
I think those hard working government employees should be allowed to work from home permanently.Then they can take and pick up the kids from school,grocery shop,go to the gym, clean the house, do laundry and prepare dinner and in between they can do the work they normally do.
Many of these buildings could be used for 1: accommodations, 2: home and assist some of the street people that need mental health, drug addiction, alcohol addiction help to resolve these issues. 3: job training centres, or other learning centres 4: quit building new ‘state of the art’ buildings, at least until our financial crisis is over in Canada.
As blue collar trades worker I can hardly wait until A.I. takes over so we can unload these fleas off our backs.Hopefully it can replace the politicians as well considering most of them already operate in a state of “No Intelligence “
At JV: Yawn, childish nit picking of grammar is all you have these days eh? You’ve really nothing factual to say anymore. Just Insults and rants.
Even heard the term colloquial?
That statement is completely acceptable and understandable in colloquial form. 🙄
The definition for everyone else of ‘out of touch with reality’
“Why is it just always these govt” Wow Doug. Maybe you should learn proper grammar before you go on the internet and pretend to be smart
Other office workers have been working from home three/four days a week since COVID. There is no need for them to be in the office everyday, that is why there are computers.
Why is it just always these govt union workers always looking for ways not to work.
We all have this problem, deal with it like the rest of us.
A better plan would be to petition the Eby gov’t to drop provincially mandated carbon taxes.
As a BCGEU who is Muslim, this is a great idea. Every time I come into the workplace I am subjected to practices and food such pork products.
High gas prices affect everyone. Why should the BCGEU be privileged?
If they work in Metro Vancouver, then they have transit…
RUBBISH… BC UNIONS ARE IRRELEVANT… DESPERATE TO FILL OTHERWISE EMPTY ISSUES ..!!
Unfortunately we can’t do that here in the film and television industry. We have to drive to the studio or on location regardless of the fuel prices
How about a pink slip instead? Sounds like lazy employees to me.