USGE and PSAC members gathered in the early hours of November 23rd at the RCMP divisional headquarters in Surrey, BC to raise awareness about the Phoenix pay system and call on the government to take the measures necessary to ensure they are paid correctly and on time.
The Phoenix payroll system used by the federal government has been riddled with problems since it was rolled out in early 2016. Tens of thousands of workers have been under-paid, paid late, and in some cases not paid at all.
Stan Stapleton, USGE National President, had this to say about the issue:
“My members who work at the RCMP worry constantly about whether or not they will receive a correct pay cheque, or one at all. The report recently released by the Auditor General of Canada shows that 62 per cent of public servants were paid incorrectly at least once during the last fiscal year. Since then, the problem has only grown worse. The report makes it clear that more resources are required to ensure that federal government workers are paid accurately and on time.”
He continued:
“It has been over a year and a half since the pay system was rolled out and the government still can’t pay us correctly for the vital work we do keeping British Columbians safe. During the implementation of the pay system, Public Services and Procurement Canada did not provide sufficient information, training and access to help departments and agencies understand and resolve their employees’ pay problems. Senior managers were invested in this system and could not accept that this was a failure. They didn’t stop, they didn’t fix it and they didn’t listen. As a result, workers have suffered. “
Federal public service workers are proudly committed to providing the services Canadians depend on, yet thousands are still having financial troubles because they are not being paid correctly or on time. USGE members have had enough. “Fix Phoenix now!”