Ottawa | For the first time since 1991, a general strike by Canadian government employees will affect services for citizens across the country: from taxes to airports, customs and even prisons.
• Read more: General strike threat: Here are the demands of 150,000 central government employees
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest federal union, gave the government until 9 p.m. Tuesday to make an acceptable offer. But at the end of the ultimatum, the parties were yet to reach an agreement.
Hence, more than 155,000 government employees, including 35,000 tax workers, went on strike on Wednesday morning, which was drawn up at 250 locations across the country.
They are administrative assistants, immigration and employment insurance file processors, clerks, maintenance workers, janitors, cooks in prisons, firefighters on military bases, and more.
Their absence will inevitably affect the processing of income tax returns, employment insurance and passport applications, immigration files, as well as the flow of passengers at airports.
$9.3 billion
PSAC union members are without a contract starting in 2021, so there is no salary increase. They are demanding a 13.5% pay raise over three years, while Ottawa is offering a 9.25% raise.
“It’s time for this government to understand that the workers of this country deserve wages that reflect the cost of living,” Alex Silas, PSAC’s regional vice president for the National Capital Region, said Tuesday evening.
In addition to these demands, there are numerous non-wage demands that cover 224 pages of documents produced by the union (See table)
According to the Central Public Sector Labor Relations and Employment Commission, which acts as mediator, the union demands are “beyond reasonable”.
Treasury Board PSAC’s salary and non-salary demands represent a spending increase of up to 47% over three years, costing the government $9.3 billion over that period.
However, PSAC-Quebec’s regional executive vice-president Yvon Barrière believes the Treasury Board’s calculations are “exaggerated.”
Special Act
The federal public service has not left a job since 1991. A strike by 100,000 union members paralyzed the government for three weeks and ended with the adoption of a special law.
In solidarity with the union, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh has already warned that he will not support any special legislation even if the government is defeated in a confidence vote.
NDP Deputy Leader Alexandre Boulerice said, “This is a policy issue for us to protect public service workers.
Some non-salary demands of PSAC
- Recognizing telework in collective agreements
- Premium $2.50/h, after 4 p.m.
- $1,500 bonus for native speakers
- $2,000 bonus for Veterans Affairs officers
- $1750 bonus for handling prisoners
- 1 percent per hour per employee for Social Justice Fund
- 5 days leave with pay for domestic procedures
- Right to disconnect
Source: PSAC
