The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to explain why it’s giving the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s members a $2,500 lump sum payment, which would cover the entire eight working days worth of lost salary for striking employees. 

“The lost salary for eight days of striking is up to $2,300 for PSAC bureaucrats and just by coincidence the government is giving these bureaucrats a $2,500 lump sum payment,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF. “The government needs to explain why it’s giving PSAC bureaucrats a lump sum payment that neatly covers the cost for eight days of striking.”

Today, the federal government announced it reached a tentative agreement with PSAC.  The wage increase totals “12.6 per cent compounded over the life of the agreement from 2021-2024 … as well as a pensionable $2,500 one-time lump sum payment,” according to PSAC.

“The majority of full-time [PSAC] employees in the PA, TC, SV, and EB groups earn between $50,000 and $75,000,” according to the government. Eight days’ worth of salary for a striking PSAC employee receiving $75,000 is an estimated $2,300. That means the $2,500 lump sum payment will cover the entire eight days that PSAC employees were on strike. 

The lump sum payment will cost taxpayers $300 million for PSAC’s 120,000 employees. 

“Taxpayers should never have to pay for bureaucrats to go on strike,” Terrazzano said. “It sure looks like PSAC’s strike cost taxpayers $300 million.”