Kingston - As the Phoenix pay disaster hits the four-year mark, PSAC members across Canada are holding public protests to increase pressure for government action. In Kingston, which has a large federal public sector workforce, the effects of this disastrous pay system continue to be felt in the community.
The PSAC Kingston Area Council will be setting up a soup kitchen outside Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen’s office to speak with the public on the devastation Phoenix has caused and the government’s inept response to the crisis.
What: Soup Kitchen
When: February 27, 2020 at 4 p.m.
Where: MP Mark Gerretsen's Office (841 Princess Street)
The government needs to take action immediately and provide fair compensation for the hardships PSAC members have and continue to endure. In addition, the government must hire more staff and dedicate further resources to prevent new issues, resolve pay problems faster and to stabilize the system as soon as possible.
Just this past month the Public Service Employees Survey confirmed the massive impact Phoenix has had, and the magnitude of problems that remain:
- 72% said that their pay has been affected by Phoenix
- 59% experienced new pay or other compensation issues over the last year
- 51% of respondents said that Phoenix had affected their decision to seek or accept another position (e.g., deployment, promotion, secondment, assignment, acting assignment) within the federal public service
- 74% experienced stress because of pay or other compensation-related issues
The current backlog of almost 200,000 pay issues will take years to resolve if the government’s current pace continues, and only if there's no spike in problems. Workers cannot continue to wait; it’s time the Liberal government treats Phoenix as a priority.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Lino Vieira, Political Communications Officer, vieiral@psac-afpc.com or 416-577-0238