A lengthy dispute between some Canadian Foreign Service officials and the Canadian government has finally ended, thanks to a possible new deal between the two parties. With this deal comes the end of rotating strikes at visa offices across the world, which had allegedly slowed processing of visitor and study visa applications.
Many Foreign Service officers chose to go on strike earlier in the year in protest to pay discrepancies between employees based in Ottawa, the Canadian capitol, and employees abroad.
“This tentative agreement reflects the government’s commitment to reaching fiscally responsible settlements that are fair to Canadian taxpayers and to employees,” said Treasury Board President Tony Clement.
Both sides have been under pressure to quickly come to a deal. The Tourism Industry of Canada, as well as many Canadian universities, warned that a potential delay in visa issuances due to a strike could severely hurt Canadian industry. Canadian government figures have cast doubt on whether a delay has in fact occurred.