Trudeau calls Bell Canada's mass layoffs 'a garbage decision'
Prime Minister says media layoffs eroding Canada's 'very democracy'
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined those criticizing BCE Inc.’s mass layoffs that would leave 4,800 people unemployed.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Trudeau calls Bell Canada's mass layoffs 'a garbage decision' Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“This is a garbage decision by a corporation that should know better,” the Prime Minister told reporters on Friday, the day after Bell Canada announced the job cuts. “I’m pretty pissed off about what’s just happened.”
Trudeau said media layoffs have been eroding Canada’s “very democracy” at a time that people need reliable news sources more than ever given misinformation and disinformation.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Don't have an account? Create Account
The job cuts at Bell Canada are poised to reduce its employee count by nine per cent, with under 10 per cent of that coming from the Bell Media division.
BCE has not specified which other positions are slated for elimination but said the reductions will be implemented at all levels across the company.
“Wherever possible, we are using vacancies and natural attrition to minimize impact on our team,” Bell Canada communications director Jacqueline Michelis said in an email.
The Prime Minister’s comments come after his heritage minister Pascale St-Onge criticized the company for breaking its promise to invest in news after it was granted more than $40 million in annual regulatory relief.
“They’re still making billions of dollars. They’re still a very profitable company and they still have the capacity and the means to hold their end of the bargain which is to deliver news reports,” St-Onge said.
Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, said it was outraged by the layoffs, which will affect 800 of its union members.
“This is absolutely devastating news for thousands of workers and their families. Adding insult to injury, the company is conducting this mass layoff while increasing dividends to shareholders and buying back shares,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne.
BCE on Thursday hiked its dividend by 3.1 per cent following its fourth quarter earnings.
In an open letter, chief executive Mirko Bibic blamed the federal government for being slow to deliver aid to media enterprises, citing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for its sluggish response to what he called “a time of crisis.”
• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the business news you need to know — add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters financialpost.com.
