Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 11/98) - The feds are fed up, says Jean-Francios Des Lauriers.

The complaint comes on the heels of an April 1 cut to isolated posting allowance reduction. Des Lauriers, the Northern regional executive vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said the cuts affect about 350 federal employees in 34 Northern communities.

For a married federal public sector employee it means about $25 a week less, or about $1,667 per year. Married federal government workers still receive $2,159 in compensation for living in the North. The amount deducted from single federal workers was not available.

The isolated posting allowance is in place to offset the higher costs of living in the North.

It is based on the difference in the price of a basket of selected goods in Yellowknife compared with the same items in Edmonton.

The data for this calculation is collected every three years, and Des Laurier said that lengthy gap makes the process unscientific.

"Any formula based on such sparse data cannot present an accurate picture of the true cost of living in the North," he said.

"The majority of these workers have not had a pay increase in close to seven years, and it's not like the cost of living has gone down."

Des Laurier is calling for a reversal of the cut and a moratorium on the rate changes. He also wants a review of the methods used to calculate the allowance.