CANADA
Canada’s Public Service unions have agreed to a deal to compensate more than 146,000 Government employees hit by the failure of the Phoenix payroll system.
Unions accepted an offer by employer representatives to grant up to an extra five days’ annual leave to union members who worked in the country’s Public Service between 2016–17 and 2019–20, along with promises to compensate those who suffered financial loss.
This follows a report by a Senate Committee that found that more than half of the Federal Government’s 290,000 PS employees had experienced pay problems after the introduction of the Phoenix system, “causing significant anxiety, stress and hardship”.
President of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, Greg Phillips said the Association had “concluded that it was in our members’ best interest to sign this agreement and give them access to a fast-track process to urgently get compensated for financial and non-financial damages caused by Phoenix”.
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government, Joyce Murray (pictured) said she believed “in making this right for all employees and recognising the real mental and emotional stress, and financial impact, that the Phoenix pay system has had on Public Servants”.
“These pay issues are completely unacceptable and we are committed to treating employees fairly and to compensating those impacted,” Ms Murray said.
“Cash payments will be available for former employees and the estates of deceased employees.”
She said additional compensation would be provided for those who missed opportunities to earn interest on savings or investments, paid interest on debt due to delayed payments, and others who experienced severe hardship.
“These cases will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” Ms Murray said.
The deal was rejected by one union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which called the offer “meagre”.
“Our union will not trade in four years of our members’ pain and suffering for a settlement that does not adequately compensate for the terrible toll Phoenix has had on their lives and that of their families,” the Alliance said.
Ottawa, 26 May 2019
