More than 155,000 Canadian public servants plan to strike on Wednesday if a pay and other demands agreement with the government is not reached, according to their union.
The largest union representing Canadian government employees is set to strike, disrupting immigration, passport services, tax processing, and government buildings.
More than 155,000 Canadian public servants plan to strike on Wednesday if a pay and other demands agreement with the government is not reached, their union announced recently at a media gathering.
Since 2021, these federal employees have been without a contract at more than 20 departments, including the Canada Revenue Agency. They overwhelmingly voted to strike last week.
According to union leaders, the two sides are at odds about salary, job security, and remote work.
“These workers, like all workers, deserve fair wages and decent working conditions. “Despite some progress at the bargaining table, our members are frustrated that while negotiations drag on, they continue to fall behind,” Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said at a press conference.
“We’ve already been at the negotiating table for nearly two years, and these workers can’t wait any longer.” “That’s why we’re putting a time limit on this round of bargaining,” he explained.
Even though the PSAC is dwarfed by the bigger Canadian Union of Public Employees, a strike by its members would be disruptive.
Canadians could expect delays in the processing of income tax returns, immigration, and asylum requests, passport applications, and foreign worker permits if the PSAC staff strike.
Consular services and new requests for veterans’ benefits would be impacted as well.