Reduction of expenses: Celliales of civil servants in the federal sight

In its desire to save money, the federal government plans to limit access to professional cell phones for its officials. But according to some, unions in particular, this is a false good idea.

The decision to review the allocation of cellulars to the public service reflects the will of the federal government, among other things, to ensure rigorous and efficient management of taxpayers’ moneyspecifies the cabinet of the Minister of Government, Public Works and Supply, Joël Lightbound, in a written declaration. By transforming the government, each dollar counts.

“A false economy? »»

For the time being, the federal government has not yet provided details on the deployment of this plan.

However, unions are already concerned about these effects on employees.

The idea of reducing spending by cutting mobile telephony is a false economysays in writing the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (IPFPC).

The reserves of theIPFPC are justified according to the executive vice-president of the Canada Labor Congress.

Sometimes we want to save money, and we think we have good ideas, but it costs money to make the public service work wellestimates Larry Rousseau.

I hope it will not change 4 thirty sous for a piastre

According to Mr. Rousseau, the federal government should at least gradually Set up this measure.

My biggest council would be to start with one or two ministries […] Instead of doing something generalizedhe said.

The president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (ACEP), Nathan Prier, says for his part to support with a certain restraint Initiatives to optimize expenses.

In the past, the costs have often been passed on to staff in many ways, especially with the bad planning of the officehe said. We therefore want to make sure that it is not yet workers who will have to assume the government’s bill.

Furthermore, theAcep offers other strategies to reduce expenses, such as limiting the hiring of managers as well as the use of subcontracting and encouraging telework.

Cybersecurity issues

In his declarationIPFPC also raises Cybersecurity, confidentiality and privacy issues.

Without mobile phones or fixed lines provided by the employer, the risk will be strong for many federal employees to fall back on their personal phones to perform tasks of a professional nature when they are not at their workstationwrites the union.

Conversely, the expert and cybersecurity consultant, Jacques Sauvé, considers that there are means of deploying policies on private phones of employees.

We can create a bubble on the phone with the data and applications of the companyhe explains.

When users install outlook, sharepoint, etc. It remains in the work bubble, that does not affect his personal bubble on his phonesays Jacques Sauvé.

Mr. Sauvé who also owns the Cybersecurity Trilogiam company, recognizes that professional mobile phones can be expensive for an organization.

It is very expensive mobile planshe said. I am convinced that there is a large percentage of civil servants who do not need cell phones to do their job.

According to the Ministerial Shared Service Plan Canada for 2024-2025, the Federal provides for the disconnection of several fixed lines non -essential, in order to keep only 10 % of fixed lines in the next three years.

In 2024-2025, the objective is to eliminate 15,000 fixed lines, and shared services Canada will prioritize sites where mobile devices and software phones are available in order to accelerate the deactivation of fixed telephone lines.

With information from Félix Pilon and Fatoumata Traoré