Federal IT experts, scientists and auditors agree to redouble efforts to reduce government outsourcing

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 19, 2016) - The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) today concluded its 97th Annual General Meeting in Gatineau, Québec with a decision to redouble union efforts to reduce government over-reliance on outsourcing, advocate for greater tax fairness for Canadians, and enshrine scientific integrity provisions, including the right of federal scientists to speak, in its collective agreements. The union also issued a call to defend and advocate wider adoption of defined benefit pensions for both private and public sector employees in light of the introduction of federal Bill C-27, which proposes to lower the standards governing certain defined benefit pensions to those of so-called target benefit pension plans.

The union's Annual General Meeting featured a well-received presentation by Treasury Board President Scott Brison, in which the Minister acknowledged the problems with the Phoenix pay system and the need to invest in the Information Technology (IT) skills of public servants. PIPSC has tied the failure of the Phoenix pay system at least partly to over-reliance on outsourcing and inadequate resourcing at the front end.

"Government should never be over-reliant on private companies such as Bell or IBM or Microsoft for the provision of fundamental services," said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. "Real investments in public employees and public services must be made if the government, our members, and ultimately the public are to make genuine progress."

The AGM also featured a panel on "Precarious Work in the Public Service," which featured the launch of an animated public awareness video about the impact of outsourcing on public employees and the public. The video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGssfz0Ucc8.

The Institute also agreed to a $10 per month increase in member dues to counter the impact of inflation and ensure the union is on a strong footing for future rounds of collective bargaining. The Annual General Meeting had adopted the theme "Programming for Success" to draw attention to the consequences of over-reliance on outsourcing, which the union says leaves government functions programmed to fail.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents some 55,000 scientists, Information Technology experts, auditors and other public service professionals, most of whom work for the federal government.

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