(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, by press release, the filing of the 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 was clarified that the negotiations at stake are those involving specific groups of employees, such as those in Program and Administrative Services and 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”.
The press release points out that negotiations began in June 2021.