Ottawa, April 20 (AFP\/APP): A third of Canada’s public servants set up pickets at hundreds of sites across the country Wednesday demanding cost-of-living raises and telework flexibility in one of the largest strikes in the nation’s history.<\/p>\n
After months of negotiating with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said it had failed to reach a deal by the deadline it had set for late Tuesday.<\/p>\n
More than 155,000 public servants went on what their union termed a “historic strike,” hitting picket lines at more than 250 locations across the country, blowing whistles and waving placards that read “Support the public service” and “Stop outsourcing.”<\/p>\n
Canada last saw a strike of this size in 1991.<\/p>\n
“It’s no secret that life is expensive and wages must reflect the value of our work,” said Pierre, a 32-year-old government worker in Montreal who declined to give his last name.<\/p>\n
“The public service is part of the collective wealth and it must not be allowed to deteriorate,” he said.<\/p>\n
On the same picket line, Crystal Warner said the government’s wage offers were “offensive.”<\/p>\n
She noted that it is the largest employer in the country and that its labour decisions often ripple through the economy, adding: “We are out here fighting not just for our members, but for workers everywhere in Canada.”<\/p>\n
The strikers, PSAC president Chris Aylward told crowds in Ottawa, “are going to stay out here for as long as it takes to get a fair deal.”<\/p>\n
Also in Ottawa, striker Esperanza Alvarez noted that federal workers toiled through the pandemic on behalf of Canadians.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s fair we get something back,” she told AFP, adding that a salary bump should keep pace with inflation as “everything is so outrageously expensive now.”<\/p>\n
The labour dispute is expected to slow or entirely shut down some federal services, including the processing of immigration and passport applications.<\/p>\n
With more than 35,000 striking workers employed by the Canada Revenue Agency, tax season could be brought to a standstill.<\/p>\n
While expressing support for collective bargaining and workers’ right to strike, Trudeau warned that “Canadians will lose patience if it drags on.”<\/p>\n
Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board that oversees government workers, told a news conference she was disappointed by the union’s decision to strike, saying progress had been made in the negotiations.<\/p>\n
“This is not where we should be,” she said. “We recognize and respect employees’ rights to strike, but when a good offer is on the table, and there is a genuine commitment to compromise, the focus should be on negotiation.”<\/p>\n
She said the two sides are still at the negotiating table and expressed hope for a deal soon.<\/p>\n
Aylward, however, had said late Tuesday that they were “still a ways apart.”<\/p>\n
Among government employees’ demands is a 13.5 per cent wage increase over three years, or 4.5 per cent annually to keep up with inflation.<\/p>\n
Inflation slowed to 4.3 per cent in March after peaking at 8.1 per cent last June.<\/p>\n
The government countered by offering a nine per cent bump spread over three years.<\/p>\n
The union also wants more flexibility over telecommuting.<\/p>\n
After pandemic restrictions were rolled back, public servants who had worked remotely were expected to return to their offices several days a week by March 31.<\/p>\n
Several told AFP they had become accustomed to telework and wanted this option to continue to be available.<\/p>\n
“We no longer want to waste two hours in traffic as before,” explained Farah in Montreal.<\/p>\n
Fred Hahn, the Ontario head of Canada’s largest public-sector union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, joined PSAC picketers in front of Trudeau’s office and said most Canadians want the option of teleworking.<\/p>\n
“For two years during the pandemic, many people did work from home, showing that it could be done,” he told AFP.<\/p>\n
“It helps people achieve a work-life balance, so it makes perfect sense. And, there’s a lot of talk about it now.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ottawa, April 20 (AFP\/APP): A third of Canada’s public servants set up pickets at hundreds of sites across the country Wednesday demanding cost-of-living raises and telework flexibility in one of the largest strikes in the nation’s history. After months of negotiating with Prime Minister Justin […]<\/p>\n
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