Federal government cuts jobs at Winnipeg lab

The union that represents employees at the National Microbiology Lab and related sites in Winnipeg says the facility wasn’t spared from the federal government’s latest round of job cuts.

“It has been brought to our attention that four positions were affected and, unfortunately, they were cut,” a spokesperson for the Union of Health and Environment Workers said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada expects its overall workforce in Canada to be reduced by about 50 positions through targeted attrition over the next three years, spokesman Mark Johnson said.

He said the federal agency will not provide location-specific details due to privacy reasons, because it may be possible to identify affected employees in some workplaces that have a low number of workers.

Thousands of federal public service workers across Canada received notices last month that their jobs may be cut.

Last week, the Research Council Employees’ union said 12 scientists at the National Research Council facility in downtown Winnipeg were laid off.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights confirmed seven employees were laid off earlier this month.