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I am laughing a little bit as I think about the proposed salary increase of 32% for Canada Post CEO Andre Ouellet. This increase of 32% would bring Ouellet's salary to more than $500,000 per year and we don't know the effects of the ongoing performance yearly bonuses. The postal unions complain that it is not just for Andre Ouellet to receive an increase of 32% of his salary while the postal workers receive an increase in the order of 3%.

Ouellet's salary raise is part of the federal strategy to bring salaries for senior servants in line with the private sector. Therefore, the Free Market dictates the salary scale for our senior public servants. And, in accordance to this understanding, the postal workers should be happy and stop complaining about their bosses' pay raises because if the Free Market would be applied to them they could be making the minimum wage of some $7.00 per hour. The Free Market is much freer for Mr. Ouellet and his crowned corporative friends as while the postal workers have their salaries settled and disclosed through collective agreements, Mr. Ouellet and his crowned corporative friends are exempt from the Access to Information Act. In fact "the details of the Corporation's [Canada Post] activities are considered privileged and commercially sensitive and cannot be specified."

So, I wonder if the Free Market is really our economic credo or just a gimmick of our economic experts to reward the corporative experts crowned in the public or private buzness.

References

The Winnipeg Sun Postal workers protest boss's big boost in pay (PDF) July 9, 2003 http://www.ftlcomm.com:16080/ensign/desantisArticles/2003_800/desantis813/OuelletWSun.pdf

Curry, Bill MP wants to probe Ouellet's expenses. Canada Post chief should be grilled like Radwanski, says committee member (PDF) July 08, 2003 The Ottawa http://www.ftlcomm.com:16080/ensign/desantisArticles/2003_800/desantis813/CurryOttawCitizen.pdf