Gov’t Workers’ Unions File Complaint to Federal Court

posted in: Payroll Systems, What's Happening | 0

The Federal Court recently received a notice of application from a number of unions that represent federal government workers, requesting to be paid properly and on time.

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Five months after the government introduced its pay system called Phoenix, there are several complaints coming from civil servants as some of them are still getting short-changed or not paid at all. Recently, there were complaints from among 2,000 newly-hired seasonal workers at Parks Canada.

According to Chris Aylward, vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, some of the said workers have started back as early as April of this year and they should still have to receive a paycheque. The Minister even called the public service pay problems is ‘unacceptable’ while the unpaid public servants were told to ask for emergency cheques.

For some employees, they cashed in RRSPs or took out loans. Meanwhile, managers in some departments assisted their staff by cutting emergency cheques. Some of the employees were also paid from the office petty cash.

With regards to the problems of the Phoenix pay system, a notice of application was filed by the workers, as they see it as a breach of the employers’ duty to provide timely and accurate pay.

On the other hand, the department which is responsible for the Phoenix pay system is the Public Services and Procurement Canada. In response to the problem, it hired more people at its Miramichi pay center as well as tapped outside experts. Moreover, it declared a temporary pay center in Ottawa to deal with the fallout from the switchover.

Aylward stated that by going to court, they are hoping that Public Services Minister Judy Foote will do what is necessary in order to ensure that staffs are paid while the department resolves the Phoenix pay system.

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