This content was published on April 19, 2023 – 19:52
Toronto (Canada), April 19 (EFE).- Some 155,000 Canadian civil servants began an indefinite strike on Wednesday to protest against the lack of agreement with the government to raise their salaries.
The strike began after the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union and the Canadian government failed to reach an agreement by midnight Tuesday.
One of the workers’ main demands is for a 13.5% wage increase over the next three years. The government offered a 9% increase during this period.
Additionally, officials want the government to agree in writing to the right to work remotely.
PSAC President Chris Aylward said in a statement that the union did not want to strike but that after exhausting all avenues to reach a “fair deal” for those responsible, it was decided to take pressure measurements.
“Now more than ever, workers need fair wages, good working conditions and inclusive jobs. And it is clear that the only way to achieve this is to go on strike to show the government that workers can’t wait,” added Aylward.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called on union representatives to return to the bargaining table to end what the union calls the largest strike by federal government employees in the country’s history.
Trudeau said Wednesday that Canadians “are entitled” to the services they receive from the federal government, adding that negotiators are to reconvene after negotiations broke down at midnight.
The Canadian government has warned that the strike will affect services such as issuing passports, processing immigration and refugee applications or collecting taxes. EFE
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