The Yukon government and the NDP are clashing again over the emergency wage subsidy program for front-line workers.

NDP Leader Kate White and Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai recently sniped at each other over the program for the second time in two weeks.

The NDP wants the government to amend the program, which can top up wages for front-line workers making less than $20 per hour, on a temporary basis, so that employees can apply directly.

White says the program is only accessible through an employer-driven application. If an employer chooses not to apply, employees who could make use of it have no recourse.

“Canada is funding a wage top-up program for essential front-line workers who make less than $20 an hour, but the program has to be accessed by employers, which means that workers are penalized if their boss doesn’t apply,” White said.

“I have raised this concern with the minister before, but he dismissed the concern and questioned if there was a problem at all.

“So, (two weeks ago), I asked on Facebook — for anyone who didn’t get the benefit. With a single Facebook post, over a dozen employees and even one employer reached out.

“I directed them to contact their employer or the department, but many employees indicated that they already did, and that their employer refused to apply.”

White demanded the program be modified so employees can apply directly but Pillai refused to commit to that.

“Again, I urge anyone who is having challenges with this particular program or with their employers to reach out to the department,” he said.

“As I offered before, we can do this in an anonymous fashion. We spoke about this in the house at length. I appreciate that there were some remarks on social media that the leader of the third party (White) received.

“I think that what we really need to do is to have those individuals reach out.

White wasn’t satisfied with that answer.

“What the minister doesn’t seem to understand is that, if a dozen people contact me because of a single social media post, there are likely many more essential workers out there who have not received the benefit that they deserve,” she said.

“The Government of Canada has allocated over $7 million to Yukon for this program. The latest available figures show that Yukon has so far left $3 million on the table.

“It should be the minister’s top priority to make sure that any essential front-line worker who has been excluded from the program through no fault of their own receives this benefit. Instead, the minister is standing in this house and denying that the problem even exists,” the NDP leader said.

“What is the minister’s advice to a worker who has approached their employer and the department but still can’t get the wage top-up because their employer won’t apply?”

Pillai again refused to commit to anything.

“I have to say for the record that the only person whom I have heard from about problems with the program is the leader of the third party.

“What we get today is the member opposite saying that I’m lacking leadership but, in response, it’s: ‘I got a note on Facebook; you need to change your program.’ I need more than that.”

After question period ended, the NDP provided the media with the contact information of one of the people who contacted White on Facebook.

Titu Pointeau is a delivery driver for A1 Delivery who told the Star he is planning to leave his job over the issue. He is currently making $17 an hour, and has been on the job for just over a year.

Pointeau said his employer has declined to make the application to the program.

He’s the only employee in the company who’s interested in the subsidy, and he said his employer doesn’t want the extra administrative work involved in the application.

“It’s pretty insulting,” he said. “I’ve been asking for a month now. The back pay sure would be helpful now.”

Pointeau said he mentioned to his employer the government would provide a $100 grant to cover the administration costs.

“He said his time was worth twice that. We need a way to access this without it being in the hands of employers.”

Pointeau said he is already looking for another position, but acknowledged it will be a tough search.

“I could really use that money at the moment,” he said.

The Star’s request to speak to an A1 Delivery company official was not responded to.