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Regina—SaskTel’s official response to the June 2016 Risk Assessment Report underscores that the evolving telecommunications industry is nothing new, and nothing to fear.
“SaskTel and other crown corporations are no stranger to competition, and the record shows that these companies are well-positioned to adapt—if the government lets them,” said Joie Warnock, Unifor Western Director. “Saskatchewan’s crowns are strong. It’s the government’s commitment that is in question.”
An independent analysis prepared for SaskTel in June 2016 showed that the company is still as competitive as ever and shouldn’t necessarily suffer as a result of the new environment resulting from the pending sale of MTS to Bell Canada.
SaskTel’s response addresses the challenges identified in the report, and also provides historical context to the adaptations that the company has made to the evolving telecommunications industry.
“If anything, the Sask Party’s mismanagement of the province’s finances are the only thing holding SaskTel back,” said Warnock. “The government has artificially inflated Crown Corporation debt to hide its own mismanagement of the province’s finances.”
Unifor also says that the Sask Party should cancel policies that discriminate against crown corporations, such as the prohibition on holding investments outside of Saskatchewan.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.
