The Senate of Canada is investigating abandoning the Phoenix pay system and moving to its own payroll system. PIPSC is very concerned that the Senate's proposal would bypass public-sector solutions in favour of yet another private company performing the work.
If we have learned anything from the Phoenix disaster it is that over-reliance on the private sector to manage and implement projects that should be in the public sector has led to failures and cost overruns. It goes without saying that this could also mean job losses for the very front-line public employees trying to make the (IBM-implemented) Phoenix system work.
PIPSC will continue to demand that the government find a solution to the failings of the Phoenix pay system and engage our own government IT community in that solution. The Institute will be closely monitoring the situation at the Senate as it unfolds.
