Mr. Speaker, I have an emergency statement.
Mr. Speaker, mediation concluded yesterday without an agreement. The UNW wanted additional time to examine the effects of current evaluations on the rates of pay that were tabled on May 8, 1998. Mediation is scheduled to resume on December 12 and 13, 1998.
Mr. Speaker, a revised offer to settle the equal pay complaint was tabled as part of the collective agreement. The revised offer described how payments were calculated for each affected employee. Payments are calculated the same way for both current and former employees and include interest.
Mr. Speaker, the offer to settle the equal pay complaint was taken off the table when it became evident that an agreement would not be achieved at the bargaining table. We will be approaching the union within the next two weeks to discuss how we may be able to settle the complaint outside the collective agreement and collective bargaining process. We will share with the union the payments we are offering to each employee and ask the union to put the offer to employees for their consideration. Mr. Speaker, we believe that employees have the right to decide for themselves whether to accept the offer to settle the complaint.
Mr. Speaker, a revised offer was also tabled which should have addressed all the union's concerns with the gender-neutral Hay Job Evaluation System. The offer provided a fully independent and binding review process to resolve any disputes that employees may have with their job evaluations. We had hoped, Mr. Speaker, that the UNW would have seized this opportunity to conclude a collective agreement; and begin to work with managers and employees to make sure that any concerns with evaluations are resolved as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the PSAC spokesperson continued the rhetoric of criticizing the Hay Job Evaluation System as not being gender-neutral. The union's refusal to recognize that the Hay Job Evaluation System is gender-neutral appears to be the single issue that is holding up a collective agreement.
Mr. Speaker, this government will only conclude a collective agreement if both parties can agree that equal pay for work of equal value for the present and future is achieved. This government will not sign a collective agreement with this union if there is a potential for another equal pay complaint by the union that is a party to the collective agreement.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to make it equally clear that this government will not impose terms and conditions of employment if there is no collective agreement; imposing the Hay Job Evaluation System would simply invite another equal pay complaint. That would put the government in a worse position than it is now.
Mr. Speaker, this government has done everything it can reasonably do to achieve a fair collective agreement and get money in the hands of employees. The accountability now rests solely with the UNW to either conclude an agreement for ratification by employees or go without a collective agreement for the remainder of this fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, the mandate of this government for concluding a collective agreement expires in a few months. If there is no collective agreement, collective bargaining will start all over again sometime after April 1, 1999, with completely new mandates from the two respective territorial governments.
Mr. Speaker, mediation on December 12 and 13, 1998, will be our last opportunity to conclude a negotiated collective agreement in time to get money in the hands of employees before March 31, 1999. Mr. Speaker, employees must look to the UNW for their opportunity to decide for themselves whether to accept the offer for a collective agreement.
Mr. Speaker, mediation has been very helpful. We remain hopeful that the UNW will decide to conclude a collective agreement for employee ratification at the next round of mediation in December.
--Applause