The Public Service Alliance of Canada is sounding the alarm over federal layoffs and program cuts that could affect tens of thousands of workers and Canadians who rely on public services. Blacklock's Reporter says union president Sharon DeSousa called on cabinet to provide full details of its plans, warning that piecemeal notifications are leaving both employees and the public in the dark.“This government needs to be very clear with the public on how many programs and services will be affected by the results of these reckless cuts,” DeSousa told reporters. “People across Canada are being kept in the dark on how these service cuts will impact them.”Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last November that cabinet would reduce the size of the public service by 10%. Treasury Board memos indicate the cuts will total approximately 40,000 positions, yet no comprehensive plan detailing which departments or programs will be affected has been tabled in Parliament.“What is the plan?” DeSousa asked. “I have yet to see what the plan is. What I see is notifications telling me ‘15 people here’ or ‘100 here.’ It doesn’t give the full story as to where the cuts are and what will happen to these departments and agencies.”.The union president expressed uncertainty over the scope of the reductions. “We don’t know if this is a one-time set of cuts. Will there be others over the next three years? Anything is up for grabs,” she said, noting that speculation is rampant among members.DeSousa declined to outline the union’s strategy to oppose the cuts, including whether a strike could be part of the response. PSAC last staged a 12-day strike in 2023, winning a $5.2 billion settlement that included four-year wage increases totaling 12.6% retroactive to 2021 and a $2,500 signing bonus for members. That walkout was the longest since 1991, when back-to-work legislation ended a strike that secured “iron clad job security,” though subsequent federal austerity led to 45,000 job cuts in 1995.“This government is choosing to hack away at the very foundation that people rely on every day,” DeSousa said. “They have decided to recklessly move forward with their plan to slash critical public services.”The union has vowed to remain relentless in protecting public servants and the services Canadians rely on, warning cabinet that the fallout from these layoffs could be significant.
