Union warns of passport delays amid job cuts

A federal union is cautioning that additional staff reductions at the passport office could lead to longer wait times for Canadians seeking passports.

According to the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) plans to eliminate 250 positions within the passport program, reports CTV News.

“Late last week, some 250 union members received news their position was affected, and this follows on the heels of 800 term cuts to the Passports program this past May,” the union told the outlet in a statement Monday.

“These cuts are not just numbers on a balance sheet. They represent a direct attack on workers who have tirelessly served Canadians through waves of unprecedented demand.”

In May, Service Canada cut its workforce at the passport office, resulting in the loss of roughly 800 jobs.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada’s president says when the “government cuts passport jobs, it’s Canadians who pay the price.”

“Delays, backlogs, and service disruptions are the inevitable result. Instead of slashing the very services families, workers and businesses rely on, the government should be working with us to strengthen public services and protect workers,” Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president, told CTV

“Cutting staff is not a plan, it’s a recipe for failure.”

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