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The government made it official Friday — at least, to those who control public sector salaries. Saskatchewan is freezing the wages of all civil servants.

“Saskatchewan is experiencing a very challenging fiscal situation, one which requires all of us to share in the effort required to reduce expenses and increase revenues,” deputy premier and education minister Don Morgan said in the letter that went out Friday the 13th to all school division chairs.

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“All public sector employers are expected to ensure that there are no increases to the total cost of employee compensation as a result of any ongoing negotiations for contracts yet to expire. There shall also be no increase in total costs resulting from any adjustment to out-of-scope compensation.

“More specifically, for the government fiscal year 2017-18 total compensation costs will be no greater than 2016-17. Negotiations need to commence immediately in order to achieve these goals for in scope employees prior to April 1, 2017. There may be a need to consider such things as freezing in range increments, general wage increases and performance/bonus pay, for both in and out of scope employees in order to meet the requirement to contain and control the total cost of public sector compensation.”