PSAC-Quebec stands in solidarity with the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) and 70 academics calling for concrete actions to strengthen bilingualism and respect for the linguistic rights of francophones in the federal public service.
In a recently published open letter, these partners denounce the cuts to the Translation Bureau and the decline in the use of French as a working language within the federal public service. They are asking political parties to make a strong commitment to correcting this situation. PSAC-Quebec shares their concerns and fully supports the demands expressed.
According to a Radio-Canada article, data from the 2021 Vote Compass show that nearly 40% of francophone federal public service workers report being unable to work in the official language of their choice. Even worse, 44% of them believe that knowledge of English is essential for career advancement, which runs counter to the fundamental principles of linguistic equality enshrined in the Official Languages Act.
“The right to work in French should not be a granted favour, but a fully guaranteed and respected right. Too many francophone public service workers are forced to adopt English to integrate, be heard, or simply advance their careers. This is unacceptable,” said Yvon Barrière, Executive Vice-President of PSAC-Quebec.
PSAC-Quebec is therefore joining its voice with those of CAPE, the academics, and the many unions who are calling for:
– A strict application of the Official Languages Act in all federal institutions;
– The immediate reversal of job cuts announced at the Translation Bureau and confirmation of permanent funding;
– Better access to French language training for anglophone employees;
– An end to the institutional culture that equates leadership with the use of English; and
– Effective accountability mechanisms to address persistent gaps.
“Bilingualism should not mean the dominance of one language over another, but true equality in both practice and reality,” added Sébastien Paquette, the incoming Executive Vice-President of PSAC-Quebec, who will take office on April 22, 2025.