The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) has reached a tentative deal with 35,000 striking employees, ending a two-week work stoppage that, at its peak, marked one of the largest, public-sector labour disputes in the country’s history.
In a statement, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said it had “secured a fair contract for members that exceeds the employer’s original offer before the launch of strike action” last month.
“The agreement for the CRA workers provides wage increases above those negotiated by other Federal bargaining agents, as well as new protections against layoffs and improvements on work hours, telework provisions and seniority,” PSAC said.
The agreement marks the final chapter in a sector-wide dispute which at its height saw 120,000 Federal workers walk off the job.
However, a leading academic in industrial relations said systemic workplace issues that created emotional stress, burnout and unhappy employees were still bubbling hot under the surface.
Associate Professor, at the Faculty of Leadership and People Management, at University Canada West, Eli Sopow said these issues hadnothing to do with money.
Professor Sopow said in-depth surveys routinely revealed that Federal Government employees rated a number of workplace conditions as more negative than positive when it came to workplace stress and the quality of their work.
These included constantly changing priorities; unreasonable deadlines; high staff turnover; overly complicated or unnecessary business processes; unreliable technology and having to do the same or more work, with fewer resources.
“That’s just a partial list, and some Departments are far worse than others,” Professor Sopow (pictured) said.
“For years, the Public Service Employee Survey has regularly revealed that the Federal Government is failing when it comes to workplace emotional wellness.”
He said the Government should tackle the long list of failing workplace factors associated with efficiency and effectiveness so that employees stopped feeling as though their concerns were ignored or disregarded.
Ottawa, 7 May 2023
