A federal minister is advising Canadians to expect long lines at passport offices this week as the public service resumes work after a 12-day strike.
Families Minister Karina Gould says the labor action did not create a significant backlog, as the federal government received only about 20 percent of the typical volume of passport applications during the strike.
Gould says a higher volume of applications is expected this week as a result, but assures Canadians that priority will be given to those with urgent travel.
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says some 100,000 decisions on immigration files were not processed during the strike.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has caught up in recent months on significant backlogs created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fraser said the recent strike means it will take longer to return to pre-pandemic service standards, but he hopes the department will find it easier to overcome the delay thanks to recent changes that have increased productivity in the workforce.
The country’s largest public sector federal union announced early Monday that it had reached agreements with the government that cover more than 120,000 public servants across the country and return them to work.
Talks between the Public Services Alliance of Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency have resumed as some 35,000 CRA employees continue to picket.
A union spokesman said talks are continuing after continuing late on Monday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 2, 2023
