Legal action has been filed on behalf of Federal Public
Servants
OTTAWA,
ON, May 8, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, leaders from
Canada's public sector unions held
a joint press conference to reiterate their strong opposition to
the federal government's mandate for a three-day in-office work
week. This directive affects over 260,000 federal public service
workers and has sparked considerable unrest due to its top-down
implementation without union consultation.
"After months of negotiating Letters of Agreement on Telework
tailored to the needs of our members, this new mandate nullifies
our considerable efforts and erodes the trust we have worked so
hard to build," said the Professional Institute of the Public
Service of Canada (PIPSC)
Vice-President, Sean O'Reilly. "It
sets a dangerous precedent and represents a colossal waste of time
and resources for unions and Canadians."
PIPSC is committed to fighting this unilateral decision that
ignores members' negotiated rights. The union has filed a policy
grievance to challenge the bypassing of mandatory consultation
requirements, and is preparing an Unfair Labour Practice complaint
to address the breach of good faith and consultation standards.
"We're not only defending our rights but also the principles of
fair and effective workplace management" said O'Reilly. "As the
largest employer in the country, this is something we will continue
to actively fight for and something all Canadians should expect
from their government."
Treasury Board's decision has a particularly harsh effect on
those groups still in bargaining, as a result of the employer's
failure to discuss this with the Institute, they are being denied
the benefit of basic labour relations principles and practices.
"I can tell you with certainty that public service professionals
would much rather be working productively, than worrying about
rearranging their lives once again to accommodate Treasury's
Board's latest nonsensical decisions," said O'Reilly. "We are
fighting back with every tool at our disposal and urging all public
sector workers to join us in this critical battle."
PIPSC asserts that the decision to mandate federal workers into
the office another day a week prioritizes external pressures over
the delivery of quality public services, and blatantly disregards
the evidence-based practices PIPSC has long advocated for.
"Had there been proper consultation, the government would have
understood the challenges our members are facing in these
workspaces," said O'Reilly. "Inadequate meeting spaces,
insufficient workstations, and the absurdity of traveling to an
assigned workplace only to attend virtual meetings all day. All
this in the face of any of the supposed benefits of increased
physical presence."
PIPSC represents over 75,000 public-sector professionals
across the country, most of them employed by the federal
government. Follow us on Facebook,
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SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of
Canada (PIPSC)