PSAC has serious concerns about the federal government’s plans to reduce government spending by cutting public service jobs.
Without prior consultation, the government unilaterally announced their plans to cut costs across the federal public service during a briefing with unions on the Refocusing Government Spending Initiative November 7.
The 2023 budget outlined $15 billion in cuts to programs and services over the next four years, with another $3 billion in spending reductions announced in last year’s Fall Economic Statement.
When cuts were first announced in 2022, Mona Fortier, Treasury Board President at the time, said the government would find $6 billion in savings by increasing remote work and selling off real estate.
Last year, Treasury Board President Anita Anand promised workers wouldn’t be asked to do more with less and that there would be no job losses. Then we heard that 5,000 jobs would be reduced through natural attrition.
Today, we heard a very different story. The government is now widening the net, looking to cut term and casual employees, and opening the door for departments to slash permanent employees through Workforce Adjustment.
Federal departments have been assigned specific budget reduction targets in salary line items. PSAC is insisting that unions must be consulted while these targets are reviewed. These targets, protected under Cabinet privilege, will remain confidential until they are made public in June 2025.
Workers and Canadians are waiting in limbo. Families who benefit from critical programs won’t know if the services they depend on will be cut. Public service workers won’t know if they’ll have jobs by next summer – if they can renew their mortgage, start a family or pay their student loans.
Government savings should not fall on the backs of workers and the services they deliver to Canadians.
The government should instead go after the billions they’re wasting on contracting out public services and the massive savings remote work offers for Canada’s public service.
PSAC will be fighting back against these cuts and protecting workers caught in the crossfire.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
