A handful of government cleaning jobs have been terminated in Weyburn.

Last week, five government custodians were given 60-days notice that their jobs will be abolished.

This comes after renegotiation between the owners of the J Auburn Pepper building in Weyburn and the provincial government, which leases office space in the building.

JAuburnPepperbuilding GoogleMaps2017
The J Auburn Pepper building houses government office space, as well as the Weyburn mall. (Photo from Google Maps)

The president of the Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU), Bob Bymoen, is puzzled by the move.

"So no matter how you slice and dice this, Weyburn's out," he said.

Bymoen believes the economic impact is starting to add up.

"You've got these five jobs, you've got the loss in the courts, plus there's been other government agencies and buildings cut throughout the years as well and you know, I wish your community the best."

Last week, it was reported by SGEU that 251 custodial positions could potentially be privatized across 17 Saskatchewan communities.

Nancy Cherney, assistant deputy minister of property management for the Ministry of Central Services, explained that a tender for janitorial services at some government buildings across the province is "a little bit unrelated" to the SGEU employee cuts in Weyburn.

The lease between the owners of the Pepper building and provincial government was to be renegotiated in March, despite the government's recent push to privatize custodial services across the province.

The SaskParty is calling for bids to provide cleaning services at the Weyburn courthouse. Cherney said the cleaning of the Highways Equipment Repair Depot in Weyburn will now be handled by the building operator.

Cherney added, no decisions have yet been made, as the provincial government is currently exploring the marketplace for a more cost-effective options.

"We're looking to try and get the best value for citizens for the taxpayers dollars that are provided to government," she said.