About 120,000 workers in Canada’s federal public service ended a strike after the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to wage increases of about 12% over four years.
(Bloomberg) — About 120,000 workers in Canada’s federal public service ended a strike after the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to wage increases of about 12% over four years.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada made the announcement early Monday. The dispute, which began April 19, had sidelined workers who do an array of jobs including product inspection, administration in government departments, and passport and immigration applications.
About 35,000 workers for the federal tax agency, who have been looking for a larger wage increase, haven’t yet reached a deal and are still on strike. Monday is the annual deadline in Canada for filing personal income tax.
Demands for wage increases after the recent period of high inflation were the main issue between the government and its employees, though an effort to enshrine the remote work arrangements also proved contentious. The union negotiated an agreement “that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually, not by group” and provide reasons in writing, PSAC said.
The government was wary that granting too much remote-work flexibility would set a precedent for other industries that could cause a further hit to cities already contending with depressed foot traffic compared with before the pandemic.
Union members are also eligible for a C$2,500 ($1,842) one-time payment.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.