Public servants and former federal public servants on a crusade against Ottawa in order to obtain compensation for the systemic racism of which they consider themselves victims are opening their arms to the country’s Francophones.
The Black Federal Employees Class Action Secretariat is demanding the payment of $2.5 billion from the federal government to 30,000 public servants who have been employed by the federal government since 1970. These employees have allegedly suffered from systemic impediments in the advancement of their careers because of their group identity and should be compensated accordingly, it is argued.
The opening of a French-speaking section in their association makes it possible to fill a blind spot in this lawsuit, according to the director of operations of this class action, Alain Babineau. “We want them to be able to testify in their language. Especially since speaking French can be a source of discrimination, observes the former RCMP officer, now retired. “At the time in Toronto, francophones were not well regarded. We were told speak white when we were talking together. »
Black women remain the most affected by this systemic discrimination by the federal government, argues Mr. Babineau. “There is the example of an assistant director in the Gatineau region who had seen a drawing of a monkey left on her desk with a note telling her that she should be a janitor rather than a manager. She suffered reprisals when she filed a complaint. »
Ottawa tries to prevent the opening of the trial. At the beginning of October, the government asked a judge to dismiss this class action, arguing that it would be more appropriate to treat this file as a labor relations grievance.
Referring these grievances to complaint handling bodies leads nowhere, argues Alain Babineau. “We have employees of the Human Rights Commission (CDP) who tell us that they were unable to manage complaints of systemic discrimination and that they themselves experienced racism and discrimination within the CDP. . »
The case is due to go to court next March.
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