Canadian Foreign Service Officers serving at the immigration section of the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh and 14 other embassies worldwide went on strike yesterday in protest against the Canadian government’s unwillingness to raise officers' salaries and engage meaningfully at the negotiating table.
They are also joined by foreign service officers from the political and trade sections of the Riyadh-based Canadian Embassy and other embassies around the world.
This was disclosed by the Canadian Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) on Friday. “Over the past several months, Canadian embassies around the world saw mass walkouts on the part of foreign service officers,” said PAFSO in a statement e-mailed to Arab News Friday.
Officers posted with the immigration, political and trade sections in Riyadh have walked out in protest over the government of Canada’s recent rejection of an offer for unconditional binding arbitration, which included an immediate cessation of job action, it added.
Canadian Embassy officials have thus far refused to comment on the strike. But a Canadian official source, who refused to be identified, said: “The ongoing job action by striking diplomats is threatening Canada’s reputation as a destination for international students and it could wind up costing the economy billions of dollars, while it may affect Saudi students and tourists traveling to Canada for studies.”
Thousands of students and tourists traveling from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will suffer in the days and weeks to come, as they will be forced to keep waiting for Canadian visas in the absence of Canadian diplomats from the embassy, he noted. Canadian Foreign Service officers have been without a contract since June 2011 and insist that the government review current salaries.
At present, Canadian Foreign Service officers are paid as much as 14,000 Canadian dollars less per year than their government colleagues in Canada who perform similar or identical work.
The Canadian Embassy in Riyadh is responsible for processing visitors and the growing number of student visas for Saudi Arabia. It supports Canadian and Saudi commercial ties and works to strengthen relations between Saudi Arabia and Canada.
“In light of the large number of visa officers that have withdrawn service, the inventory of applications is growing, and as a result, processing times are longer,” warned the PAFSO statement.
As a result, applicants should expect delays, which may lead to missed vacations to Canada and possibly delayed start dates for those applying for study or work permits, it added.
Canadian diplomats go on strike
