Foreign Service - Strike?

[CanadianJeepGuy]

I wish and hope they don't get a single dollar raise. These freakin greedy ppl dont deserve anything. We are suffering so much because of them and they want more money B.S. If they dont like their jobs then they should get the hell out of here and leave it for some one who really wants to do it for that much money and is not as greedy as these guys are.

The job action is not about inconveniencing you. Its about fairness and equality. If those terms mean nothing to you then you may want to consider immigrating elsewhere.

 

[keesio]

If this isn't sarcasm you are a class A joker.

You do understand they are the gatekeepers to Canada, don't you? You will be they guy complaining 5 years down the road that Canada is too lax admitting people for permanent residence.

Put simply, those who are admitting abroad should be making the same salary as those who are admitting in Canada. To expect anything less is just opening the door wide for nothing but problems (and is quite honestly myopic much like the current government).

+1.

If people want to get angry at someone for the length of the process, get mad at the people who try to scam the system with false info or just false intent. You even see them in this forum. They are the reason why it takes so long. They ruin it for us.

I'm suffering also - I have a sponsorship application in the queue that is most likely being held up by all of this. but I'm realistic.

 

[amikety]

According to polls done by CBC, new immigrants are the most resistent to more immigrants.

Look, if I had been without a valid labor contract since 2011, I would've been trying to strike since 2011. I don't know about all unions, but with my husband's union, the only way he gets a raise is when they get a new contract! Would you like to go without a raise for 2 years?

These immigration employees are human too. They deserve the same rights and treatment as the rest of us.

 

[messenger]

According to polls done by CBC, new immigrants are the most resistent to more immigrants.

Look, if I had been without a valid labor contract since 2011, I would've been trying to strike since 2011. I don't know about all unions, but with my husband's union, the only way he gets a raise is when they get a new contract! Would you like to go without a raise for 2 years?

These immigration employees are human too. They deserve the same rights and treatment as the rest of us.

I agree 100%

People who expressing these negative opinions about the right to strike here, are people whose countries had never had any labor organizations.

 

[waiting1234]

I dont think its a simple matter of fairness.

When people strike in industry, the number 1 affected group is the business therefore the profits of that particular company. If teachers strike it is direct canadians who are impacted and therefore action is taken promptly.

When a union like the FSO calls a strike, the direct impact is not on the government or on mass canadians. It is primarily on the group of people applying to come into canada ergo the action is very slow and progress limited. Yes equal pay equal work etc that is true. But, those affected cannot simply be used as hostages when they really cannot control the outcome. Again when teachers strike, parents do control the outcome because it is in canada. What can an immigration applicant really do? There is an amount of bullying in play also from their end. It is not one sided.

 

[keesio]

What can an immigration applicant really do? There is an amount of bullying in play also from their end. It is not one sided.

Good point. The immigrant applicant has very little leverage here. They are not citizens so the government is not as concerned, hence don't have the same desire to act as say angry citizens being affected.

The sponsors may be citizens but overall the amount of leverage is limited.

 

[treefour]

Hello everybody. I just want to give you all a little bit of hope by telling you that we got our passport and COPR returned from Hong Kong, so it appears that they are getting some work done at the strike affected consulates. Good Luck to everyone who is still waiting.

 

[keesio]

Thanks for some happy news! Yeah, I'm sure everything isn't completely shut down... just delayed... a lot...

But still good to hear that there is indeed progress

 

[inLinE6]

Hello everybody. I just want to give you all a little bit of hope by telling you that we got our passport and COPR returned from Hong Kong, so it appears that they are getting some work done at the strike affected consulates. Good Luck to everyone who is still waiting.

Can you please let us know when you filed your application and when they received it? Thanks.

 

[inLinE6]

Just my 2 cents.

It's not a simple matter of "fairness". Striking in 30 years ago is a way of fighting against unequal treatment. But this no longer exists in modern capitalized society. I admit there's still unfairness here or there, but the majority of striking today, is to protect sluggishness and low efficiency, which is a negative thing.

Bottom line, take it or leave it. You're paid for this amount because you only deserve such amount. It's free labor market today, and there're tons of other high-paid jobs available. You're free to pursue any of them as you wish (which was not true 30 years ago). Not capable of taking high-paid positions is not anybody's fault. Why bother striking? Get a better education or advanced training, quit that darn job and do something else to make more money. What if someone's truly enjoying such job, not willing to move on, but not content with the pay? Well, my friend graduated from top university but instead of finding a formal job, he plays guitar in a bar with limited income. He thought that's what he enjoys even the pay was low. He never complained or striked!

To me, striking is more like hi-jacking, period.

 

[treefour]

Can you please let us know when you filed your application and when they received it? Thanks.

Visa Office......: Hong Kong
App. Filed.......: December 27, 2012
AOR Received.: December 31, 2012
Passport Req..: April 24, 2013

 

[MadeInCanada]

Just my 2 cents.

It's not a simple matter of "fairness". Striking in 30 years ago is a way of fighting against unequal treatment. But this no longer exists in modern capitalized society. I admit there's still unfairness here or there, but the majority of striking today, is to protect sluggishness and low efficiency, which is a negative thing.

Bottom line, take it or leave it. You're paid for this amount because you only deserve such amount. It's free labor market today, and there're tons of other high-paid jobs available. You're free to pursue any of them as you wish (which was not true 30 years ago). Not capable of taking high-paid positions is not anybody's fault. Why bother striking? Get a better education or advanced training, quit that darn job and do something else to make more money. What if someone's truly enjoying such job, not willing to move on, but not content with the pay? Well, my friend graduated from top university but instead of finding a formal job, he plays guitar in a bar with limited income. He thought that's what he enjoys even the pay was low. He never complained or striked!

To me, striking is more like hi-jacking, period.

Do you actually know the reason behind the strike?

With regards to your friend, he was content to make that choice for himself. Good for him, but how would he feel if they hired another player and paid them more then he is making for the exact same position?

Take Care
MadeInCanada

 

[inLinE6]

Do you actually know the reason behind the strike?

With regards to your friend, he was content to make that choice for himself. Good for him, but how would he feel if they hired another player and paid them more then he is making for the exact same position?

Take Care
MadeInCanada

I don't know the exact reason behind the scene, but nothing special. People want to do the same job with more pay. There're tons of ways to improve salaries. Striking is not among the most respectable ones. Good point with regard to my friend. If they hire someone else that is better than him and paid better, bummer, I feel sorry for my friend, but the bar made reasonable decision. If that's not the case - the bar hires someone with equivalent or less skills but treats him better, just leave that bar and find somewhere else. As I said it's free labor market. The employers are profit driven. They make rational decisions.

Bottom line, they didn't beg anyone to work for them. Not satisfied with the pay? Feel free to move on. Get protected by labor union and strike together, is no different than hi-jacking. It's like, "hey boss, you get no choice but hiring me, and you get no choice but raising my salary." How come? But I understand and respect those people who hold opposite opinions.

 

[QuebecOkie]

I don't condemn the PAFSO members for striking and trying to gain equality. (Doesn't mean I don't send bitchy messages to my husband, whining about the uncertainly and the lack of any information or progress on my eight-month old application, haha!) I do, however, wonder how effective a strike is for employees that serve largely immigrant populations. I do plan to have my husband contact our MP when he gets home, but a relatively small number of Canadian citizens are directly affected by immigration issues. It doesn't seem a work stoppage would put a ton of pressure on the government to address pay equity issues.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Just my 2 cents.

It's not a simple matter of "fairness". Striking in 30 years ago is a way of fighting against unequal treatment. But this no longer exists in modern capitalized society. I admit there's still unfairness here or there, but the majority of striking today, is to protect sluggishness and low efficiency, which is a negative thing.

Bottom line, take it or leave it. You're paid for this amount because you only deserve such amount. It's free labor market today, and there're tons of other high-paid jobs available. You're free to pursue any of them as you wish (which was not true 30 years ago). Not capable of taking high-paid positions is not anybody's fault. Why bother striking? Get a better education or advanced training, quit that darn job and do something else to make more money. What if someone's truly enjoying such job, not willing to move on, but not content with the pay? Well, my friend graduated from top university but instead of finding a formal job, he plays guitar in a bar with limited income. He thought that's what he enjoys even the pay was low. He never complained or striked!

To me, striking is more like hi-jacking, period.

This is easily the most uniformed statement I have read so far concerning this job action and unionized labour.

1) Unfair wages and unsafe work environments still exist in 1st world countries.
2) Please show me where your data is to compare the quality of unionized labour and labour in the private sector.
3) There is no free market. it was killed off by Corporations.
4) Governments provide services that the private sector cannot manage due to security/privacy issues or simply because there is no profit in it. privatize any government service and 20% of the workers get laid off, services goes down and the costs to receive the service go up.
5) Your friend is essentially self-employed.