The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is calling on the federal government to halt workforce adjustments in the public service, saying the job cuts are disproportionately harming women. Data on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s website shows 26,514 employees and executives in the core public service have received workforce adjustment notices since December. The government wants to reduce the size of the federal public service by 28,000 positions by 2029. PSAC says 71 per cent of the 14,000 PSAC members who have received workforce adjustment letters are women. “These findings highlight a disproportionate impact on women workers and raise serious questions about the government’s commitment to gender equality,” PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa said in a statement. “If the government truly cares about gender equality, then they need to protect the jobs of women in the public service and invest in the important services they provide for people in Canada.” The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said 345,282 people were employed in the federal public service at the end of March. Employment statistics showed 194,075 women and 151,089 men worked for the federal government. PSAC says the departments with a “majority of women workers are facing the largest amounts of workforce adjustment notices,” include Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Global Affairs Canada. “You can’t say you’re ‘Building Canada Strong’ while disproportionately slashing the jobs of women and gutting the services that communities depend on,” PSAC said. The union is calling on the federal government to halt workforce adjustments and engage in “meaningful consultations with unions before making decisions that disproportionately harm workers.” PSAC also wants the federal government to release “disaggregated equity data” on the workforce adjustments. Treasury Board won’t comment on data The Treasury Board Secretariat told CTV News Ottawa it is not in a position to comment on PSAC’s data or the methodology of the study. “It is important for readers to note that only a portion of employees who receive affected notices are ultimately laid off. Suggesting otherwise is misleading,” Mohammad Kamal, the director of communications for Treasury Board president Shafqat Ali, said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa Tuesday evening. “Canada’s government is undertaking a Comprehensive Expenditure Review to ensure government spending is responsible, cost-effective and delivers results for Canadians. We are rigorously reviewing all government spending and making responsible choices so we can deliver smarter, faster, and more effectively for all Canadians,” Ali said. “Canada’s government is managing workforce reductions with fairness and compassion, in line with Canada’s obligations as an employer. As proposed in Budget 2025, workforce reductions have been managed, to the greatest extent possible, through attrition and voluntary departures, rather than layoffs.” Kamal says all departments must continue to meet their obligations under the Employment Equity Act. “TBS engaged with Deputy Heads and Heads of Human Resources to emphasize the importance of maintaining and advancing our employment equity representation as savings proposals were developed,” Kamal said. “TBS has provided guidance reminding senior officials of existing legislative obligations and the importance of actively monitoring representation as organizational decisions are made.”
