By now, you will likely be aware of the Government of Canada’s decision to force federal public services employees, including many of our members, back to the office four days a week, later this year.
Obviously, much is wrong with this decision, which can only be attributed to a potent mix of obtuseness and willful ignorance:
- Spending more for less: It costs the federal government billions of dollars to maintain unnecessary office space that is already insufficient to house its workforce at the current rate of attendance. As the government scrounges for loose change under every couch cushion, who cares about an estimated $6 billion in savings when you can just get rid of federal public workers instead — and, while you’re at it, the services Canadians depend on (but no matter what, don’t touch executive bonuses). Good financial stewardship? In this economy? Come on now.
- Decreased productivity: The Canada Border Services Agency has repeatedly highlighted how productivity increased during the COVID pandemic when many federal employees worked exclusively from home. The sensible course of action, now, is without a doubt to revert to a less productive system. Makes sense.
- More traffic: Less travel to and from work for the public service means fewer vehicles on the road, and a faster commute for all (it’s not like public transit is a viable alternative in the National Capital Region, with the Ottawa transit system rarely working as intended). And that’s saying nothing of the inherent benefits of telework to both infrastructure and the environment. But what else should we expect from a government whose vision of a ‘green future’ seems to largely consist of ensuring that gridlocks be mostly made up of electric vehicles?
- Leaving public service employees worse for wear: Allowing telework helps our members save money during economic downturns. At a time when our country faces unpreceded economic challenges (brought on largely by hostile actions from the United States of America), why not needlessly take money from our members’ wallets — the very people whose jobs it is to protect the Canadian economy?
But what about what’s right with this decision? Surely the list of benefits to increased office attendance, necessary to offset the negative, must be substantial. For the most part, this seems to include:
- Higher on-site water cooler attendance.
- Increased sales of those disposable conical paper cups (hopefully Canadian-made).
- A small army of clipboard wielding middle managers keeping you from getting your work done.
An Illegal decision
But more serious than the manifest absurdity of this decision is the fact that it is illegal. Plain and simple. Once a notice to bargain is served, as it has been for most Treasury Board employees, the employer cannot change our members’ terms and conditions of employment (see Section 107 of Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act).
Let’s be clear: After the debacle that was the government’s response to the Air Canada flight attendants strike, our employer is once again showing itself to be anti-worker and anti-union. Their campaign talk courted unions and workers; their actions are repelling them.
The Customs and Immigration Union now knows who they are dealing with and we are ready to do whatever it takes to see our members’ rights upheld. This aggression will not stand and we will not forget.
Please stay informed by visiting our social media pages and talking to your union representatives. CIU and PSAC will keep you updated on legal challenges and activities. These are dark times made darker by a government who no longer hide that they hate workers and will trample their rights. CIU is committed to doing all we can to see their actions countered.
