Glacier FarmMedia — The union representing most of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff warned of potential food safety concerns after workers learned of coming job cuts.
The Agriculture Union represents 4,500 of the approximately 6,400 CFIA workers.
A union press release issued Jan. 28 said 1,370 jobs will be cut due to the federal government’s austerity measures. There were no details yet on where and when the cuts would occur and which operations would be affected. However, union president Milton Dyck said cutting food safety leads to obvious outcomes.
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“More people will get sick from preventable food-borne illnesses, more poultry and livestock will die from avian flu and other diseases, and our food production industry will suffer,” he said.
The union said staffing at CFIA has declined three per cent in the last 10 years, compared to the overall 30 per-cent rise in the federal public service.
It noted U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration has also gutted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, putting the quality of imported food in doubt as well.
It also cited a media report saying the CFIA can’t handle multiple emergencies.
Dyck said food recalls rose by 150 per cent in the last decade. The government is putting short-term savings ahead of health, he added.
CFIA has not yet responded to a request for more information.
