Here’s the thing though.
it’s not a 4.5% hike they want. It’s much more.
They want to work from home. That’s a savings for the worker as they don’t need to commute to work, which is costly.
The percentage of space in their home is now a tax deductible cost. So are the utilities such as hydro, phone line, internet, home insurance.
The savings alone could be in the thousands, for each employee. And they want a pay increase on top? To me it sounds like they want to eat the cake and keep it. Sadly that’s not how it works.
I don’t know where you got the $54,500 number from. Looking at their career page (i.e. job openings) a senior immigration officer makes between $71,000 and $77,000. A student bridging officer can make between $45,000 and $140,000. That’s not a typo in the upper number.
Source:
https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page2440?classificationInfos=&locationsFilter=&selectionProcessNumber=&officialLanguage=&title=&tab=1&search=Search jobs&department=66&departments=&log=false