The following communiqu? has been drafted jointly by CBC/Radio-Canada and its six major unions, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), the Syndicat des Communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC), the Syndicat des technicien(ne)s et des artisan(e)s du r?seau fran?ais (STARF), the Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP), the Association des r?alisateurs (AR) and the Association of Professionals and Supervisors (APS).
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In recent weeks, you’ve likely heard of concerns about the cost of the employee Supplementary Heath Care Plan. But costs are just part of the story. CBC/Radio-Canada and the unions have agreed that any solution must be the result of a holistic and systematic approach that emphasizes preventive measures as well as cost control.
Costs related to health care at the Corporation now exceed $38 million dollars a year. This includes sick leave (both short- and long-term), Workers’ Compensation claims and health benefits such as prescription drugs, vision care, hospital care, and paramedical services such as physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage, and psychological services.
Under the auspices of the Consultative Committee on Staff Benefits a special working group is being created to consider initiatives for both health promotion, and cost-effective and well-managed health care coverage. The working group has a broad mandate to look at employee health for both cause and effect. It is a significant undertaking. Research is already underway with the assembly of relevant statistics, recent reports and studies.
From our research we know that costs are on the rise, the incidence of sick leave is increasing, as are incidents of stress and depression and musculoskeletal injuries and disabilities.
The working group will be made up of representatives from the unions and key managers from both English and French services. The working group will consult with all major stakeholders including employees, managers and health and benefits experts. It will identify short-, medium- and long-term objectives with a preliminary report and timeline expected by the end of April 2005.