The union, which represents more than 35,000 civil servants at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), indicates that there would be significant disruption in the event of a walkout by its members, a possible avenue from next Friday.
“Everything would be at a standstill. It is sure that it will delay the processing of the files. […] For any request for information, there would be no answer at the end of the line,” says Marc Brière, national president of the Union of Taxation Employees.
Members of this union, associated with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), voted on Friday to adopt a strike mandate from April 14, a few days before the deadline to submit its statement. income for 2022. Such a walkout “might probably force the government to push back the production limit” of declarations, even suggests Mr. Brière. He says he doesn’t want to come to that.
The tax employees have been without a contract for more than a year. The vote that began on January 31 ended “resolutely” in favor of a strike mandate.
Salaries and telecommuting
Tax employees have processed nearly 30 million applications for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, and most often telework, recalls the union. Negotiations with the employer are in fact led by the Treasury Board of Canada, and stumble mainly on the issues of wages and telework.
The union is demanding Canada Border Services Agency wages, which would require a major initial wage adjustment of 9%. He then asks for a salary increase of 4.5% the first year, and 8% for the following two years.
On the subject of telework, the union members are once morest the decision of the CRA to require since the beginning of the year a return to the office at 40%, or the equivalent of two days a week, to full-time employees. According to Mr. Brière, the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that it is possible for them to work from home without losing productivity.
A decision next week
However, it is not yet certain that the union will carry out its threat to walk out. A final stage of negotiations between the PSAC and the CRA must be held with a mediator starting Monday, April 17. Employees thus have the right to strike at the earliest just before, on Friday, April 14.
The president of the Union of Taxation Employees says he will wait to see what is offered to the other unions, in negotiation for their part as early as next week, before confirming the work stoppage.
“We are going to decide if we give a warning shot to the Revenue Agency, and to the federal government as a whole, to say that things are not going to our liking and that we want things to change the following week. We will not go on strike to make the population sweat, [mais] if we go out, we’ll come out strong when we leave, [et] there will be very significant disruptions, ”explains Marc Brière.
Its members represent a significant portion, but not all, of the approximately 55,000 public servants of the Canada Revenue Agency. The work of approximately 1,500 of these union members is also considered an essential service. The CRA admits that some services might be delayed or made unavailable if the union goes ahead with a labor disruption, without specifying which ones.
“The CRA is committed to being transparent with Canadians on service impacts, if any,” reads a statement. The federal government says it hopes the planned negotiations lead to an agreement for the next collective agreement.
“Maintaining a respectful relationship with the Public Service of Canada is, and always will be, a priority for our government,” National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier’s office wrote in a statement to the Duty.
