Correspondence

April 4, 2001

The Honourable Lucienne Robillard
President of the Treasury Board
L’Esplanade Laurier, 9^th Floor
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R5

Dear Mrs. Robillard :

A report in the Ottawa Citizen by Kathryn May, dated March 31, has caused the Public Service Alliance of Canada serious concern. The article suggested that the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee, on which the PSAC is represented, has been engaged in discussions about "reforming" the federal superannuation plan. One of these "reforms" is allegedly to raise the without-penalty retirement age from fifty-five (with thirty years’ service) to sixty, in order to solve increasing recruitment and retention problems in the federal public service.

I have been informed by our representatives on the Advisory Committee that no such discussions have as yet taken place. I can assure you that our position on such "reforms" is very firm indeed. The PSAC will in no way countenance the erosion or diminution of our members’ pension rights under the Public Service Superannuation Act.

Together with the appointment of yet another task force to resolve public service issues, the proposals mooted in the Citizen article are very nearly the last straw. I would like to remind you that our members have been subject to wage and increment freezes, a lengthy battle to win the basic human right of pay equity, knee-jerk legislation to end legal strikes, and the misappropriation of a $30-billion surplus in the pension plan that they helped to build up. Currently, they are facing the usual stonewalling and contempt from Treasury Board at the bargaining table. And now it is apparently being proposed that our members be held economic captives for five additional years to get the government out of its recruitment and retention difficulties. Madame Minister, enough is enough.

I would suggest that, if you are indeed interested in addressing those staffing issues, and making the federal public service the "employer of choice," you might want to look at a more positive approach. Treating our membership with respect, at the bargaining table and elsewhere, might go a long way to making the public service a more attractive place to work. Involving us in joint projects to build the public service of the future would be helpful. Including us in joint management of the pension fund so that we can work together to improve it in such areas as survivor benefits and early retirement would be beneficial.

I must stress that any attempt to economically coerce our members to remain in the federal public service is bound to create an enormous reaction. We shall oppose any and all proposals and measures to further reduce our members’ pension rights.

Let me reiterate that your government’s approach to both pension reform and public service reform is wrong, not to say wrong-headed. If it is our cooperation that you want in addressing serious structural and other problems in the public service, then I would urge you to involve us in the process from the start and to treat us with respect. We have considerable experience and expertise in this area, and by "we" I mean our leaders, our rank and file members and our staff.

Sincerely,
Nycole Turmel
National President