17 June 2014
This week, the Canadian Government is celebrating National Public Service Week. Twenty two years ago the event was created by the shortest Act in Canada’s statute book with scarcely more words in the Act than in the title –“The National Public Service Week: Serving Canadians Better Act 1992”
The celebration recognises the “… value of the services rendered by federal public service employees, (and) acknowledge(s) the contribution of federal public service employees to the federal administration.” It promotes pride in, and recognition of, the Public Service by raising awareness of the excellence of the Public Service.
The shine has been taken from promotional activities and special awards this year through a blocking campaign by the Public Service Alliance of Canada ( a union with more than 120,000 public servants.) The PSAC is boycotting National Public Service Week and has organised competing events intended to highlight spending cuts and diminishing services.
The Canadian Prime Minister has spoken of the Public Service promoting prosperity “… from helping respond to natural disasters, to supporting the conclusion of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, to helping Canadian businesses reach new markets, and to improving services to Canadians.”
The retort of the union is that it is “…an insult to our members that the Government … celebrates this event while it … continues to cut services to the Canadian public, slash public-service jobs and attack collective bargaining rights, health and safety protections and retirement security…”
But the Government says it continues listening to Canadians and “…engaging them in creating the service environment of tomorrow. It has challenged the Public Service to adapt to the mantra of doing more and better, with less.”
www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/arp/nfpsw/gui-eng.asp
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/581077/national-public-service-week-kicks-off-next-week
www.iccs-isac.org/research/citizens-first/citizens-first-6/?lang=en
Integrity Talking Points 