The union representing more than 155,000 federal government employees in Canada, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), has called for a strike beginning today. This action will affect numerous government departments, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As a result, some Government of Canada services will experience limitations during the strike.
Impacted services
IRCC anticipates disruptions and delays in several areas, including:
- application processing
- in-person meetings and events, such as citizenship ceremonies
- communication with IRCC through email, phone, or social media
- consular citizenship and passport services
- passport services within Canada
Services that remain operational
Despite the strike, IRCC will continue to provide some services for applicants. These include:
- online applications
- mailing applications to IRCC
- online account access
- certain emergency services
Additionally, services offered by non-governmental organizations will still be available, such as:
- settlement services from IRCC partner organizations
- health care via the Interim Federal Health Program
- visa application centres outside of Canada
Moreover, disruptions to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and biometrics collection are expected by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Reasons for the strike
PSAC, which represents over 155,000 Canadian public servants, is striking for equitable wages, improved work-life balance, increased workplace inclusivity, and the creation of more jobs to reduce layoffs instead of outsourcing positions to private entities.
The government announced on April 17 that negotiations were underway to reach an agreement and prevent the strike. A wage increase offer of 9% over three years, in line with the third-party Public Interest Commission's recommendations, was proposed by the government.
A critical issue is the continuation of remote work for PSAC members. The union asserts that public service employees demonstrated their effectiveness while working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and that 90% of workers wish to maintain remote work arrangements.
The government argues that the current demands would significantly impair its ability to provide services to Canadians and limit its capacity to effectively manage public service employees.