Canada’s massive civil service strike is poised to drag into its second week as the federal government and the union representing more than 155,000 federal workers trade barbs amid tense and slow negotiations.
(Bloomberg) — Canada’s massive civil service strike is poised to drag into its second week as the federal government and the union representing more than 155,000 federal workers trade barbs amid tense and slow negotiations.
Federal workers, including 35,000 from the Canada Revenue Agency, the country’s tax-collection body, have been on strike since Wednesday over wages and return-to-work policies. Still, the federal government has said it isn’t ready to force the civil servants back to work.
“At this time, it’s not something that I believe is the best outcome,” Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said on CTV Question Period on Sunday morning, when asked if the Liberal government would rule out a back-to-work law.
“At this time, I believe the best place to have negotiation is at the table, it’s nowhere else and that’s where I’m putting all of our effort,” said Fortier, whose department is handling negotiations for Ottawa.
The reticence to force workers back to their desks comes despite escalating criticism from each side as negotiations drag on.
READ: Canada Faces Historic Strike as Top Public Union Walks Out
Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward said during a Saturday press conference that the Treasury Board’s slow response to a union proposal and the overall handling of the negotiations “screams of incompetence.”
The federal government fired back on Saturday night, saying the union had opted to hold a press conference rather than a meeting on the proposal.
“There is no time nor tolerance for stalling and misinformation,” the Treasury Board said in a release, adding that Ottawa is “not here to play games.”
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