we. VIC TA7.” Tekephone 374-0042,
OF THE UNION
BiLL Ferguson

those of us

‘Increases in medical
premiums blasted as
‘regressive taxation’

Backed by the Canadian
Labor Congress and sev-
eral trade unions, prices ®
Protesters marched on .
Parliament Hill last week
(top) to present the Tru-
deau government with
250,000 signatures de-
manding a rollback in food
prices and a rollback on
the military budget.
Below, Nan McDonald, or-
ganizer of Women Against
Rising Prices which called
the protest, addresses the
rally. Behind her are
CUPW president Jean-
Claude Parrot and NDP
MP Bob Rae who also ad-
dressed the crowd.

—

Laborers break
ranks with |
internationals and —
pay dues to CLC

= page 12 —

“a

A.
~~
~~
SS
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Co.

— page 3 —

.

victorious
Trib drive

The Social Credit government’s
new medicare premium increase,
which will boost rates by a huge 35
percent, was denounced this week
as ‘‘an unconscionable increase”’
and ‘‘contrary to the intention of
medicare.”’

And a director of a major trade
union health and welfare plan
branded the accompanying in-
creases in hospital per diem charges
‘*a Socred deception.”’

Health minister Jim Neilson an-
nounced the increases in the B.C.
Medical Services Plan Monday,
adding that they would become ef-
fective Aug. 1, 1981. Predictably,
he used the recent doctors’ fee in-
crease as justification for the sharp
increase which will push single rates
to $11 per month from the current
$8.50, the rate for couples to $23
(up from $17) and for families to
$28.75 (from $21.25). Medical
premiums were increased — by 15
percent — only a year ago.

But Neilson used the opportun-
ity provided by the doctors’ fee in-

_crease to boost hospital per diem

charges, which will go up from the
current $5.50 per day to $6.50, and
charges for outpatient surgery
which will go up to $6 from $5.
Ambulance charges will also rise by
approximately 15 percent for both
the basic charge and the cost per
kilometre.

Significantly, British Columbia
is the only province which levies
both premiums and hospital per
diem charges. Alberta and On-
tario, the only two other provinces
which charge premiums for medi-
cal plans, do not have daily charges
for a hospital bed.

“This is an unconscionable in-
crease — and in complete violation
of the basic principle of medicare
of universal accessibility,’’ Maurice
Rush, provincial leader of the
Communist Party, charged Wed-
nesday.

See OPPOSITION page 3

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