PSAC Strike. Image credit Twitter page of Canadian Labour
Ottawa/CMEDIA: With Canada’s largest public sector union represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)’s strike reportedly dragging on, more and more labour unrest this year should be expected by Canadian workers, experts say.
Last week, more than 150,000 civil servants representing PSAC walked off the job, slowing government services including immigration, citizenship, passport, licensing and tax services.
Although the federal Government and PSAC union have agreed to hundreds of lesser issues, they still remain far apart on the major issue of compensation.
The federal government’s offer of a nine percent raise spread out over three years was not agreed by the majority of Union members who requested a 13.5 percent raise over the same time period.
PSAC workers have been working without a contract since 2021, the union said and the cost of living in that time frame has risen by more than the pay increase they’re asking for.
More and more labour disputes are looming with compensation across the country and in various industries including reportedly from Vancouver Symphony Orchestra stagehands to nurses in Ontario, and from WestJet pilots to flight attendants at that airline and others.
“Employees have the right to strike…We are committed to delivering a fair deal that recognizes the valuable contributions that public servants make every day…these agreements must be in the best interest of Canadians…will not sign agreements that the country cannot afford, nor ones that severely impact our ability to deliver services to Canadians”, Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, representing Federal Government said in a news release today
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