About 155,000 Canadian civil servants began an indefinite strike on Wednesday in protest due to the lack of agreement with the Government to increase their wages.
The strike It was launched after the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union and the Canadian government failed to reach an agreement before midnight on Tuesday.
One of the main demands of the workers is a salary increase of 13.5% over the next three years. The Government has offered an increase of 9% in that period.
In addition, officials want the government to agree to the right to work remotely in writing.
PSAC President Chris Aylward said in a statement that the union did not want to go on strike but after exhausting all possibilities to reach a “fair deal” for officials, it was decided to take the pressure action.
“Now more than ever, workers need fair wages, good working conditions and inclusive jobs. And it is clear that the only way to achieve this is to start a strike to show the government that the workers cannot wait”, added Aylward.
For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked union representatives to return to the negotiating table to end the strike that the union considers the largest by federal government employees in the country’s history.
Trudeau said Wednesday that Canadians “have a right” to the services they receive from the federal government, adding that negotiators have to meet again after negotiations broke down at midnight.
He Canadian government It has warned that the strike will affect services such as the issuance of passports, the processing of immigration and refuge applications, or the collection of taxes.