UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Thursday 8 August 2013

Tories the same the world over - Canada’s public sector unions under the cosh

A pay dispute between Canada’s Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) and the Conservative led Canadian Federal Government is an important yardstick of what’s at stake in the period ahead of the country’s next general election in 2015. The 1350 workers at Canadian embassies around the globe have been attacked for their 'diplomatic perks and benefits' and the Government is refusing to enter into binding arbitration.

Duncan Cameron writing on the Rabble website says ‘expect the Harper government to use 2014, the pre-election year, to try and befuddle the opposition parties, and make strategic gains by attacking public service workers.... to drive the anti-government, anti-union vote over to its side using a tough union-busting approach. The not-so-subliminal message is that economic problems originate with government, and public servants deserve to be punished’
http://rabble.ca/columnists/2013/08/harper-out-to-bust-public-sector-unions