Manitoba government layoffs to begin this week

Managers in the ministries of education and growth, enterprise and trade are among the first to be affected by a plan announced last month to trim 112 management jobs from the civil service while preserving front-line positions. Premier Brian Pallister said some managers are retiring while others are being let go, but he did not have a detailed breakdown. "We want to restore the balance. The top is very, very big in our government compared to other jurisdictions and we need to make sure that we ... set a tone at the top," Pallister said Wednesday. "That effort will continue across government. That'll continue in other sectors as well, including Crowns." Crown corporations such as Manitoba Hydro, which is dealing with expensive new generating stations and transmission lines, are also looking at job cuts. The Opposition New Democrats said they are worried the management cuts will affect front-line services.