Unions vow fight over rule requiring federal workers to be in office 3 days a week

Public service unions say they’ll launch further legal challenges and grievances over new rules that federal employees must work from the office at least three days a week.

The unions are promising a “summer of discontent” over the policy, which was announced by the federal government this month.

Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward said Wednesday the NDP supports the unions and he expects the party to press the Liberals on the issue.

But he stopped short of calling for the NDP to pull its support for the minority government. He said the NDP would be asking questions in the House of Commons “to get answers from the government as to why this decision was made without any consultation with any of the unions.”

Those comments did not go as far as a letter sent by the unions to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, dated the same day. The letter calls for Singh to “take decisive action by utilizing the mechanisms of power in the Liberal-NDP confidence and supply agreement to hold them accountable.” The agreement is the mechanism through which the NDP supports the minority Liberals to keep them in power.

A PSAC spokesperson said the focus is on having the NDP use that deal to pressure the government, “not on tearing up the agreement.”

Singh told reporters his party has “lots of tools” to put pressure on the Liberals.

Aylward made the comments at a news conference on Parliament Hill alongside representatives of other public service unions. They said they have either already filed legal challenges, such as unfair labour practice complaints and policy grievances, or plan to do so.

The new rules, which also stipulate that executives will have to be in the office at least four days a week, take effect on Sept. 9.

Treasury Board president Anita Anand said Wednesday the government has the jurisdiction to make the changes and hybrid work isn’t in the collective agreements with the unions.

Previously, most federal public servants had to be in the office at least two days a week. Those rules were put in place March 2023, two years after people began working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.