The largest union of Canadian government employees is preparing for a strike that would disrupt immigration, passport services, tax processing and government buildings.
(Bloomberg) — The largest union of Canadian government employees is preparing for a strike that would disrupt immigration, passport services, tax processing and government buildings.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada, representing more than 155,000 workers, said “little progress” has been made during negotiations on wage increases. It’s threatening to walk out on Wednesday if there’s no deal reached by Tuesday at 9 p.m. Ottawa time.
PSAC says it would be the largest strike against any single employer in the country’s history.
The union is looking for a 13.5% raise over three years for Treasury Board employees, and 20.5% over three years, plus an immediate 9% adjustment, for tax workers. The union said it’s received several wage offers but none keep up with the rate of inflation.
“When the federal government represses its wages for its own employees, what they’re doing is repressing wages for workers right across the country,” Chris Aylward, PSAC’s president, said at a briefing on Monday. “That’s wrong and we’re asking the government to come to the table and set that bar for all working people in this country.”
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