CANADA
Public Service unionists have demonstrated in the Canadian capital of Ottawa against what they see as Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau’s broken promises to Federal workers.
The National Capital Region branch of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) produced an open letter Mr Trudeau wrote to PS employees in 2015 before he was elected.
In the letter, he promised PS staff more flexible sick leave, better mental health support and greater cooperation in labour disputes, among other measures.
Regional Executive Vice-President for PSAC’s Capital Branch, Greg McGillis said the union was sending Mr Trudeau’s letter back to him because he needed to keep his promises.
The PSAC and the Federal Treasury Board are currently nine months into negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement that would cover almost 100,000 employees.
The negotiations come three years after the implementation of the disastrous Phoenix pay system, which has caused headaches for tens of thousands of Federal employees by causing pay delays and underpaying or overpaying them.
Mr McGillis said after three years of Phoenix, union members deserved honesty and a fair deal.
“They don’t deserve to be ignored,” Mr McGillis said.
“They don’t deserve silence. They don’t deserve the insulting economic offer that is currently on the table.”
Representatives of PSAC and the Treasury Board are expected to resume contract negotiations shortly for what PSAC has called the Government’s “last chance” to meet their demands.
Ottawa, 27 April 2019
