(Ottawa) Ottawa is turning to the Federal Public Sector Labor Relations and Employment Board (PFRESB) to complain that the main union of federal public servants has “failed in its obligation to bargain in good faith”.
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) announced Friday, in a press release, the filing of a complaint against the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
“The Government of Canada has clearly expressed its commitment to achieving a positive outcome at the negotiating table,” it read.
It is clarified that the negotiations in play that began in 2021 are those involving specific groups of employees, such as those in Program and Administrative Services as well as those in Operations Services.
“The PSAC, for its part, has shown reluctance to reach agreements during this round of negotiations,” argues the federal government.
The TBS maintains that the purpose of the complaint filed against the PSAC is to force the union organization to return to the bargaining table “and to begin serious negotiations in good faith”.
Ottawa accuses the union of seeking to “precipitate a strike without making every reasonable effort to conclude a collective agreement”.
“Frivolous complaints”, responds the PSAC
Reacting in a press release, the PSAC retorted that the filing of the complaint by the federal government “is just another of its tactics to drag out negotiations because it does not want to give its staff a fair and just work”.
In the union’s view, there is no doubt that Ottawa believes that public servants should acquiesce to “a salary offer which, taking into account inflation, amounts to a considerable drop in salary”. Among other criticisms, it is argued that the employer party flatly refuses to discuss telework or reconciliation between work and personal life.
“Rather than stalling negotiations with frivolous complaints, the government should roll up its sleeves to reach a decent deal at the bargaining table. The longer the talks are delayed, the more our members lose ground. »
As the PSAC press release suggests, the government did file more than one complaint.
In a separate file submitted to the CRTESPF, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) also accuses the PSAC of failing in its obligation to negotiate in good faith and of not being sincere in its desire to conclude a collective agreement.
The recriminations set out in the press release are aimed more specifically at the union division representing tax employees, namely the PSAC-UTE.
The CRA wants the CRTESPF to agree with it and “order the parties to resume negotiations before allowing the PSAC-UTE to declare or authorize a strike”.
The employer considers that the union did not engage in good faith negotiations before having “clearly expressed its intention to take a strike position as soon as possible […] and in such a way that there is an impact on tax time”.
A strike vote will be held as early as January 31 for the 35,000 PSAC members who work at the CRA.
“Making the current government listen to reason will require a strong strike mandate,” the union organization said in its Friday statement.
The PSAC reports that “strike action” is also being considered for its 120,000 members whose employer is Treasury Board.