"These are the people who do the on-site supervision of road maintenance for the whole province. They make decisions regarding what work should be done first and ensure that proper signage and other public safety provisions are in place at work sites" says Andersen.

The Liberal MHA says he is shocked and amazed that these people have been told not to report for work on Monday while no obvious plan is in place to provide supervision at depots around the province. "These are not unionized workers so maybe government thinks they are easy targets who will not be able to defend themselves."

The Labrador MHA says the way these workers have been treated by the Williams government is yet another example of a heartless government. "These are the non-unionized workers who provided essential services during the strike. These people have been led to believe that there would be some cuts and consolidation but never did they believe that so many would be let go. These people, and indeed the whole province, deserve an explanation about what is happening here. I want answers because if what I am hearing is true, government has a lot of explaining to do."

Andersen believes government should explain why in the budget fees were increased to provide extra money for road maintenance and several services were slashed. "Motor vehicle fees were hiked by $40 a car this Spring to increase the quality of highway infrastructure. Following that hollow announcement, weigh scales that ensure safety and preservation of infrastructure were closed, and now we hear the people overseeing maintenance activities were sent home and told not to come back.

"These cuts are another example of a government that is in a cutting frenzy and doesn’t take time to consider the impact of their cuts on the people directly involved, the traveling public or the impact on the overall economy of the province."