OTTAWA - Women and men working in the federal public sector are holding demonstrations in several communities across Canada this week to protest the way their employer, the Canadian government and its agencies, is treating them. These Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members are protesting the government's salary increase proposals that are below the inflation rate and which do not recognize the high quality of services they provide to the Canadian public.

"While we were offered only 2% at the negotiating table, the government speedily approved an advisory committee's recommendation to give its high-ranking managers an 8.7% increase, retroactive to April 1, 2000," says John Gordon, PSAC National Executive Vice-President. "The government said that this measure is necessary to keep the salaries of Deputy Ministers and Agency Executives in synch with the market. But when we ask that the salaries of front-line workers be compared with the rest of the economy, the government has consistently refused. This double-standard must end and we are demonstrating this week to send this message to the government," says Gordon.

This week's demonstrations are rallying workers in the federal government's administrative, technical, operational, library and education services, as well as employees of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), who are also negotiating the renewal of their collective agreements. All together, they represent some 125,000 government workers. The demonstrators are handing out documents and bags of peanuts that show the unfair treatment they are receiving from their employer.

"Managers like Frank Claydon, Secretary of the Treasury Board, for example, will receive a whopping increase of 8.7%, which includes a performance bonus of $43,960," adds John Baglow, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the National Capital Region. This bonus alone is more than many PSAC members make in a year. A level 2 meat inspector (CFIA) makes $41,268, a level 3 clerk in the federal government makes $32,637, and the average tradeperson makes $35,036. And yet, PSAC members are the people who actually provide the services. They are the front-line workers, trying to provide quality services after tens of thousands of jobs have been cut. They are the people who are overworked, underpaid and undervalued and who should be compensated fairly," adds Baglow.

In addition to this week's demos, PSAC members will be sending faxes to their MPs to remind them of the government's pledge to reinvest in the quality of public services. With projected surpluses averaging $10.6-billion a year over the next six years, the government has the capacity to compensate its workers fairly.

Negotiations have collapsed for all of these groups. A Conciliation Board for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency group will continue its hearings from March 27 to 29. Members of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and the Food Inspection Agency have voted in favour of strike action if a settlement can't be reached. PSAC members working for the government will be asked to vote for in favour of strike action in a few weeks time.

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Spokespersons:
John Gordon, PSAC national executive vice-president (613) 560-4310
John Baglow, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President, NCR (613) 560-4380

For information:
Nancy Mitchell, PSAC communications officer (613) 560-4235

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