CANADA
Canada’s long-suffering Public Servants have marked the fourth anniversary of the introduction of the botched Phoenix pay system with a rally in Edmonton.
Shawn Follett, who works for Indigenous Services Canada, said the past four years had been a catalogue of frustrations.
“Financially it’s been pretty tough at times. A few sleepless nights,” Mr Follett said.
“Probably a lot of sleepless nights,” he said.
“Not quite sure how to pay some bills.”
He had been underpaid thousands of dollars at one point, and then was overpaid, and now is not sure what will happen next.
“I am waiting for that shoe to drop; whether they are going to come to me and not pay me or send me a bill for $C6,000 or $C7,000 ($A6,870 or $A8,014)” Mr Follett said.
“Tears have been shed – it’s been tough.”
David Won works with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and endured several months without pay in the summer of 2016 because of the Phoenix issues.
“Trying to pay rent, I had to borrow money from friends and my parents to make ends meet,” Mr Won said.
Mr Won, who went from a summer student to working full-time with the Government, said he was eventually paid but there were now over-payment issues.
“I don’t know… if it’s resolved or not,” he said.
“I know they garnished one paycheque like two years ago. I haven’t heard any word from Phoenix.”
Northern Alberta representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PASC), Stasi L’Hirondelle said rallies would be happening across the country in the next few weeks.
“The big ask today is that they compensate all PSAC members fairly for the debacle of Phoenix,” Ms L’Hirondelle said.
In a statement, the Government said it understood employees’ frustrations and continued to work to resolve pay issues.
“The ongoing stabilisation of the Phoenix Pay System is being pursued relentlessly by Public Services and Procurement Canada. Further, the Treasury Board Secretariat is developing options for a next generation system to eventually replace Phoenix,” the statement said.
Edmonton, 22 February 2020
