Opposition MPs Criticize Liberals for Failing to Negotiate Deal With Federal Workers

PSAC workers and supporters picket outside the Canada Revenue Agency office in Sudbury, Ont. on April 19, 2023. More than 155,000 federal public servants are on strike after the government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada failed to reach a deal before an April 18 evening deadline. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Gino Donato

Opposition MPs criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during question period on April 19 for failing to negotiate a deal with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) to prevent 155,000 federal workers from striking.

“It is a failure to increase the cost of the bureaucracy by 50 percent with poor services. It is a failure to have 150,000 people workers go on the biggest general strike in decades. It is an especially incredible achievement of incompetence to do both of those things at the same time,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.