Public service sick leave expected to dominate negotiations

Another round of negotiations start today between the Treasury Board and the biggest federal public service union, with sick days as a major issue.

Government negotiators want to cut the number of paid sick days an employee is entitled to by two-thirds, down to five.

Federal public servants are now entitled to up to 15 paid sick days a year and the Public Service Alliance of Canada doesn't want that to change.

Larry Rousseau, the union's executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, said sick leave is a key sticking point.

"What it means is going to work sick... and that is absolutely a non-starter with us," Rousseau said.

"It is so important because as public sector employees we also are very concerned with public health. And any public health manager anywhere, any person who's working with disease control will tell you, that when you're sick you stay home, you stay away from the workplace, you stay off of public transit, you stay away from the crowds, and this way we have less people who are going around spreading disease."

'I think it does make sense,' business prof says of government's plan

Treasury board president Tony Clement has said he wants to reduce the number of sick leave days a public servant is entitled to each year from 15 to five, as well as get rid of the sick leave bank so employees can't carry over unused sick leave days from year to year. 

In exchange, Clement said the government is committed to introducing a short-term disability plan.

Ian Lee, a professor at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, said he's in favour of the government's model, which would make the federal policy closer to what's found in the private sector.

About 90 to 92 per cent of Canadians have the private sector model, which is about five days of professional leave, short-term disability, and long-term disability, Lee said.

"Politically, I think it does make sense simply because the vast majority of Canadians do not have what employees in the federal government have," Lee said.

"I think it also makes sense financially and even more so for planning purposes."

But Lee said he understands why established public servants don't like the idea.

"I can understand that someone who's been in the government for a very long time... and they've accumulated 100, 200, 300 days, then they're going to be loath to give that up, because they see it as something they've earned," Lee said.

If the government doesn't budge on the issue, Lee said it would be a bad idea for the union to strike, "especially in an election year."

Lee believes the Conservatives would use any strike action to their advantage by telling Canadians the public sector unions are out of touch with ordinary Canadians.

Negotiations start today and further sessions are scheduled until June.