Ismail Shakir
Ottawa (Reuters) – A representative of some , 13 Striking unions on Saturday called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to speed up negotiations for a deal on higher wages and work-from-home protections.
A wide range of public services, from tax returns to passport renewals, have been affected since Wednesday, when around 120,13 Staff of Treasury Board and above 22, 000 represented by the Public Service Confederation of Canada (PSAC) union tax agency workers went on strike.
PSAC chairman Chris Aylward told reporters the strike would continue until a “fair deal” was struck. He said the union had been waiting for a response from the federal government to its proposals on Thursday and that the union’s negotiating team was “tired” of waiting.
“I need to see the Prime Minister get involved in these negotiations and help and assist in moving these negotiations forward,” Aylward said. Canada’s Finance Ministry, which oversees the federal government and has been handling negotiations for the government, said it “has been on the table every day since mediation began.”
“There is no time, and no tolerance for delays and Misinformation,” the office of Mona Fortier, chairman of the Treasury Board, said in a statement. “Now that PSAC is back at the negotiating table following the press conference, negotiations have resumed.”
Earlier, the federal government said it had made a “fair, competitive offer” including a 9% The three-year salary increase, and will continue to negotiate to quickly reach an agreement.
Tax Agency staff want .5% raise while Treasury staff are seeking 35.5% three-year salary increase. Inflation peaked at 8.1% last year but has since fallen to about half that level.
In addition to wages, PSAC also wants the new agreement to recognize the right to work remotely.
