Canada will have to endure one of the largest strikes by government employees beginning on Wednesday as negotiations with a public sector union failed.
The final deadline of 9pm in the discussion between the Treasury Board of Canada, which employs government workers, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), elapsed without a resolution. PSAC announced that 155,000 federal employees will begin their strike at 12.01am on Wednesday.
“We truly hoped we wouldn’t be forced to take strike action, but we’ve exhausted every other avenue to reach a fair contract for Canada’s Federal Public Service workers,” PSAC national president Chris Aylward.
Among the services that will be impacted will be that of immigration, and will effect applicants like prospective international students seeking study permits, those looking for temporary work documents or permanent residency. Indian nationals comprise the largest country cohort for these categories.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, PSAC said, “With nearly a third of the entire federal public service workers on strike, Canadians can expect to see slowdowns or a complete shutdown of services nationwide beginning tomorrow, including a complete halt of the tax season; disruptions to employment insurance, immigration, and passport applications; interruptions to supply chains and international trade at ports; and slowdowns at the border with administrative staff on strike.”
Among the demands from the union are a raise of 13.5% over three years, retrospective from 2021. The government countered with a figure of 9% spread over that term.
Bargaining is expected to continue even after the strike commences, as Aylward said, “We’re ready to reach a fair deal as soon as the government is ready to come to the table with a fair offer.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had expressed hope that a strike could be averted.