PSAC or the Public Service Alliance of Canada is going on a strike today. Do you know how many employees does PSAC have? 155,000! All these employees are going on a strike today. And, what are their demands? Higher pay! Most of the government services will be disrupted today as the employees refuse to come back to work until their demands are met. And, yes, this does include the IRCC strike. This strike will be the biggest strike in the history of Canada. Let’s know what will happen next.
Why are they on a strike?
These government employees are asking for fair wages along with improved workplace inclusivity, a better work life balance, and reduced layoffs.
On 17th April, the Government of Canada did offer a wage increase of 9% over the course of three years. This offer was a way to avoid the strike from happening.
According to the PSAC members, they can work remotely fine, just like they did at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. This is the thinking of at least 90% of workers. However, according to the government of Canada, working remotely will have serious effects on the delivery of services. The public would face the consequences of the demands that PSAC is making. This means, the Government believes that PSAC would not be able to manage the employees and hence the delivery of government services would be delayed.
The Canadian Government assured that Canada Child Benefit would not be disrupted even during the strike. Moreover, payments that are scheduled will continue as usual. These payments are:
- Veterans’ income support
- Pension Plan payments
- Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments
- Employment Insurance payments
What will be affected?
Let’s see what are the areas that will face disruptions:
- IRCC may not be available via email, social media, or phone
- Application processing will face consequences
- People may not be able to access passport related services
- Any in-person appointments or events such as citizenship ceremonies will not happen
- Services regarding consular citizenship will not be available
Which services will be available?
Thankfully, some IRCC services will still be available even during the strike.
These are:
- You can still be able to send applications to IRCC via mail
- Applicants still have the option to apply online
- You can still access a few emergency services
- Online accounts will be available
