On October 30, Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), held a milestone meeting with John Moloney, assistant general secretary of the United Kingdom’s Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)—the largest public sector union in the United Kingdom (UK).
This meeting marked CAPE’s first engagement with a union leader in the UK. The conversation covered critical topics, including return-to-office policies, the Labour government’s recently introduced Employment Rights Bill, and the UK’s freshly announced national budget.
Return-to-Office (RTO):
Given that Canada and the UK have adopted similar RTO policies, both leaders exchanged insights on shared challenges and opportunities. PCS advocates for RTO as a personal choice, asserting that civil service employees have a legal right to flexible work, with refusals permitted only under eight legally defined conditions. Both unions agreed to share resources to support each other's ongoing efforts to safeguard flexible work options.
Employment Rights Bill:
CAPE sought insights on the Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill, tabled on October 10, which proposes the most significant employment reforms in 17 years. A central provision of the bill would require employers to justify refusals of flexible work requests.
UK Budget:
The Labour government’s new budget, released just hours before the meeting, contains specific provisions impacting the civil service. Although it was too early for a detailed review, both unions expressed keen interest in monitoring any potential austerity measures and policies related to digitalization, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
Both leaders committed to pursuing ongoing conversations. This initiative marks a significant step for CAPE in fostering international solidarity within the public sector.
