Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

OTTAWA - The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says the federal government needs to change a number of its practices if it is to meet the challenges of the changing demographic of the federal public sector.

PSAC National President John Gordon, appearing today before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, called for changes in staffing approaches and practices if the federal government is to meet the challenges of an aging workforce.

• Read John’s presentation at the national website.

“Staffing for part-time or short-term needs does not attract the same consideration of employment equity objectives as are in place when an employer is staffing on an indeterminate basis,” says Gordon in response to a statement by the President of the Public Service Commission (PSC) that 88.6% of federal staffing is in term, student and casual positions.

According to the PSC’s 2004-05 Annual Report, approximately 65% of those hired permanently into the federal public service were hired from a pool of temporary workers. “Perhaps this is why a Senate Committee recently described this practice as a ‘significant stumbling block’ to achieving employment equity,” says Gordon. “Reducing, if not eliminating, these back door opportunities is the solution and it’s a solution that our staffing agencies ignore.”

Gordon also addressed the loss of institutional memory that the government faces. “Saying, as the PSC does, that we are well equipped to replace staff and put people in the chair of a retiree gives no indication whatsoever as to how well we are equipped to transfer the knowledge and expertise that departing workers take with them. It will be a substantial loss and has the potential to adversely impact delivery of public services.”

Gordon cautioned against eroding federal pensions, making it more difficult for workers to retire, as a solution to this problem. “Average pensions are anything but generous, particularly for women. In 2005, a retired federal public sector women worker received an average pension of $14,185.”

“The key to adapting to demographic change and ensuring that Canadians are well served by their public service is flexibility, flexibility that allows workers to ease into retirement and flexibility that allows them to remain on the job in a reduced capacity that facilitates the transfer of knowledge and experience to new hires into the system who represent the diversity of Canada.”

As a result, the PSAC is calling on the federal government to amend the Public Service Superannuation Act to allow public sector workers to reduce their work week and receive pension benefits as outlined in the recent Conservative budget.

According to Gordon, other things the government can and should do as an employer include ensuring that federal departments and agencies use students and student employment in accordance with government policy and not as cheap, menial labour, as is currently the practice in too many departments and agencies.

The PSAC represents over 160,000 workers, the vast majority of whom work for the federal government in its departments and agencies.