Negotiations with the federal government made “some progress” on compensation and job security issues this weekend, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents workers, argued on Sunday. 150,000 employees still on strike.
“This weekend, we made some progress in terms of compensation and job security. We know that our members want to return to work to provide the population with the services they need, but we also know that the workers can no longer continue to lose ground,” the union said on Sunday, in a brief report. posted on social media.
It argues that we must at all costs “stay at the table until we get the fair and equitable agreement that our members deserve”.
The union and the government had confirmed on Friday that discussions at the Treasury Board tables have resumed and will continue throughout the weekend. “Our teams worked very late last night and are back at the table this morning. Negotiations are also continuing for our members at the Canada Revenue Agency,” the PSAC said on Sunday.
On Saturday, the federal government said its new offer presented on Friday is “fair, competitive and reasonable” – warning that it is a “final offer”. The union confirmed having received the new offer from the government, but preferred not to comment further due to the resumption of discussions.
“This final offer, which includes improvements to salary and non-salary conditions, is fair, competitive and reasonable, and we believe that public servants should have the opportunity to read the details to evaluate it,” argued the Secretariat. of the Treasury Board of Canada in a statement sent to the media.
Ahead of its new offer on Friday, the federal government was offering civil servants a 9% pay rise over three years, retroactive to 2021. For its part, the union said it had adjusted its initial demand of 13.5% over three years. , but it did not reveal a new figure.
It should be noted that more than 100,000 PSAC members left work on April 19 because they were unable to agree with Ottawa on the terms of a new collective agreement. PSAC employment contracts expire in 2021.
The collective agreements affect a total of 155,000 federal workers, but the Trudeau government for its part considers about 46,000 of them to be essential workers who do not participate in the job action.
Throughout the past week, strikers have marched across the country to voice their dissatisfaction with the talks with the federal government. Officials also demonstrated in front of the entrances to ports, including that of Montreal, and border crossings, such as Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, in Montérégie.
With The Canadian Press