The province will be paying Alberta Health Services (AHS) employees bonuses after all, Health Minister Fred Horne announced Saturday.
Horne said the bonus pay was part of the contract the province had with the employees and were required by law to follow through with the payment.
However, he added that those employees would be given the chance to refuse the money.
“The former board had closed that door and we are reopening that and they will be offered the option to refuse the pay at risk.”
NDP leader Brian Mason said the private model of salary for AHS senior staff was not one his party agreed with but it was unfair to deny the employees their money.
“When you enter into contracts and you tell your senior managers this is the kind of contract we want you to sign and then you try and pretend that they are not entitled to the compensation that they have earned and then tell them that they should voluntarily give it up. I think that Fred Horne is right out of control.
“He’s not being honest with the people of Alberta about what he is doing.”
While Horne told media that the province will be eliminating pay-at-risk bonuses going forward he also took the opportunity to defend his decision to dismiss the board.
“When we appoint people to positions like boards we expect them to work with governments and take notice of what governments are saying.”
