Service Canada to cut 800 office jobs nationwide
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Service Canada is set to cut about 800 passport office jobs nationwide by the end of June. The department attributes these reductions to an anticipated drop in passport applications. An Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) spokesperson confirmed the decision was 'necessary and not taken lightly.'
These job cuts will affect Service Canada offices across the country, though specific numbers for each location weren't provided. All employees impacted by the changes have been informed. ESDC stated that, as a federal department, it has an obligation to manage its finances responsibly, aligning revenues with costs, including salaries, based on projected workloads.
These Service Canada job cuts follow a prior announcement by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to eliminate up to 280 permanent jobs, primarily in the National Capital Region.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), representing nearly a quarter-million public sector workers, asserts that these combined reductions threaten essential daily services for Canadians, warning of potential service delays at passport offices and weakened services for taxpayers and businesses.
The union warned that these job cuts will lead to longer wait times at passport offices and weaker services for taxpayers and businesses. PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa stated online, 'Throughout the election, the Liberals promised 'caps, not cuts,' but each week, hundreds of federal workers are receiving notice that their jobs are being eliminated.'
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