Canada federal workers launch largest strike in decades

More than 155,000 federal workers in Canada have gone on strike, marking the biggest action of its kind in the country in more than three decades.

The strike comes after the union for federal workers failed to reach an agreement with the government on issues related to wages and work-from-home.

It is expected to affect multiple government services, from tax filings to passport renewals.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for a swift resolution.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing Canadian federal workers, began its strike at midnight local time early on Wednesday, sending a third of public sector workers to the picket line.

The union said it had "exhausted every other avenue to reach a fair contract" with government negotiators. It added an "overwhelming majority" of its membership voted in favour of a strike mandate.

Contract talks at the bargaining table are ongoing, but the union's president Chris Aylward said that PSAC and the government are "still a ways apart" from reaching an agreement.

Federal workers have asked for a series of pay bumps to keep up with the high rate of inflation.

Talks covers two main groups of federal workers - 120,000 workers under Canada's Treasury Board and some 35,000 working for the tax agency.

The government offered a 9% wage increase over three years, but the union asked for a higher increase over the same period.

Tax workers initially sought a pay bump of more than 30% over three years, while the other group is seeking a 13.5% pay rise over the same period.

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The union has also pushed to cement an agreement on remote work, despite a recent mandate from the Treasury Board that asked public servants to return to the office at least two days a week.

The government said in a statement on Tuesday night that it had done "everything it can to reach a deal and avoid disrupting the services that Canadians rely on".

This includes offering proposals on work-from-home, improved family leave with pay and measures to support diversity and inclusion in the public sector.

"Even though there is a competitive deal on the table, the PSAC continues to insist on demands that are unaffordable and would severely impact the Government's ability to deliver services to Canadians," the government said.

Mona Fortier, president of Treasury Board, struck a more optimistic tone on Wednesday, telling reporters that she is convinced "some progress will be made" as negotiations continue.

On Wednesday, Mr Trudeau urged both sides to reach an agreement. He said he supported the right to strike but warned that "Canadians will lose patience if it drags on".

"Canadians have a right and deserve to get the services that they need from the federal government," Mr Trudeau said.

If the strike continues, its impact could be felt by Canadians across the country, as well as those looking to immigrate to Canada.

Immigration and passport applications are expected to face backlogs and delays as a result of the legal work action.

The Canadian Revenue Agency, which oversees taxes, will also face delays just ahead of a 30 April national deadline on annual income tax filings.

While some of the striking workers also include staff from the Canada Border Agency, the government has maintained that there will be no disruptions to travel or the flow of goods into Canada.

The last federal strike of this scale took place in 1991. At the time, the legal action delayed grain shipments, flights and cross-border travel.

Federal staff then returned to work after the Canadian government introduced mandatory back-to-work legislation.