According to public sector unions, nearly 10,000 employees received layoff notices this week.

 

Almost 10,000 federal public servants have received notices in the past week warning them that their jobs may be cut, say the unions representing them.

 According to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, "workforce adjustment notices" were sent to over 5,000 of its members this week. They include 1,172 Global Affairs Canada employees, 775 Transport Canada employees, 598 Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada employees, and 895 Health Canada employees. Staff members from Public Safety Canada, Canadian Heritage and Immigration, and Refugees and Citizenship Canada were also sent notices. Employees are informed in workforce adjustment notices that job cuts may affect them. How many of those who received the notices will actually be fired is unknown. Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, stated in a news release, "Public services aren't just a budget line — they're a lifeline for communities and families." "We all pay the price through slower services, longer wait times, and weaker programs," despite the fact that the government's planned cuts may appear to save money.

The Canadian Association of Professional Employees said roughly 2,550 of its members received notices this week, including 534 employees at Employment and Social Development Canada and 103 people at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

According to the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, notices were sent to more than 2,700 of its members this week.

Cutting science-based departments will weaken Canada's ability to prevent disasters, respond to emergencies, and safeguard public safety and the environment, according to the union. Sean O'Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, stated, "These are not abstract programs or administrative red tape." “These are the experts who ensure that Canadians can trust weather warnings, keep dangerous goods from exploding on our railways, prevent oil spills from becoming catastrophes, and save species from extinction.

"Public safety and the environment are put at risk by cutting this scientific expertise." Through its "comprehensive expenditure review," Ottawa hopes to reduce program spending and administration costs by approximately $60 billion over the next five years. The exercise will involve "restructuring operations and consolidating internal services," according to the most recent federal budget. It said it also will deploy workforce adjustments and attrition to return the size of the public service to “a more sustainable level.”

 From a peak of 368,000 in 2023-2024, the government intends to reduce the number of public service jobs by approximately 40,000. The plan will see a reduction of 1,000 executive positions over the next two years, and a 20 per cent cut to spending on management and consulting services over three years.

 Nearly 68,000 public servants who might be eligible for the government's planned early retirement program have received letters with information. The government said it’s trying to boost the rate of attrition and avoid cutting younger workers by offering a voluntary program allowing workers to retire earlier without incurring a pension penalty.

 The federal budget said the government intends to implement the one-year early retirement program as soon as this month.