They were to have their wages reopened earlier this year under collective agreements, but the province passed a law to delay them until Oct. 31 so it could get information from a panel studying Alberta’s finances.

The unions have been asking for pay raises ranging from three per cent to almost eight per cent, and the government had been asked for a wage freeze.

Toews says circumstances now demand a two per cent cut.

“We cannot ask Alberta taxpayers to fund public-sector pay raises during a time when far too many workers in the private sector have lost their jobs and many others have seen significant pay cuts in recent years,” Toews said in a news release Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2019.

The Canadian Press