Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Roland on February 5, with respect to continuous and non-continuous employees. During negotiations for the new collective agreement, information was shared with the UNW bargaining committee regarding the reductions in the wages and benefits required in order for the government to achieve its fiscal restraint targets. They were advised that the majority of savings required could be achieved through a reduction of gross compensation by 6.25 percent. The UNW bargaining committee proposed that the savings could be achieved through a combination of salary reductions and mandatory days of leave without pay. The problem with this proposal, from the government's perspective, was that the requirement for services provided by certain positions entails that the incumbents be replaced when they are absent from work. Accordingly, mandatory days of leave without pay for those positions does not result in any savings for the government.

The government's proposal on the matter provided the required savings would be achieved through a combination of salary reductions and mandatory days of leave without pay, where possible. Where mandatory days of leave without pay could not achieve the necessary savings, they were achieved through salary reductions only. This proposal formed part of the package that was subsequently forwarded and ratified by the UNW's membership. As a result, employees in positions that provide continuous service had their salaries reduced by 6.25 percent representing the overall targeted savings. Those who do not provide continuous service had their salaries reduced by 4.33 percent, with the remaining 1.92 percent achieved through the five mandatory days of leave without pay. Thank you.