Ottawa roads blocked by government workers demanding raises, remote work

On Thursday, frustrated public servants descended upon the streets of Ottawa for the seventh day of protests. As representatives from the Public Service Alliance of Canada negotiate with the government to have their demands met– the PSAC has called for a 13.5 percent pay increase, and more accommodation to work remotely– those on the ground have ramped up their tactics.

Protestors congregated on roadways and in front of buildings, taking a page out of the Freedom Convoy's playbook and disrupting access to "critical infrastructure" in order to have their voices heard.

Hundreds of people marched across the Portage Bridge connecting Gatineau, Quebec, and Ottawa early Thursday morning, disrupting traffic as they made their way from MP Greg Fergus' office to the Parliament Buildings. 

As CTV News Ottawa reports, on Parliament Hill, protestors gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office building. They proceeded to block the entrance, allowing only one person to enter every five minutes. Similar scenes were reported outside the Treasury Board headquarters down the road. 

The decision to target the aforementioned structures comes after union president Chris Aylward hinted that protestors would be scoping out "strategic locations" where they would be more visible. 

On Monday, protestors sought to "shut down" ports in many major Canadian cities, including Vancouver. Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that while "they have the right to strike and demonstrate," the government still needed to "make sure that the economy can continue functioning around the country." 

"I know Canadians would like us to avoid disruption to travel and supply chains, and our focus is to resolve this at the negotiation table," Transport Minister Omar Alghabra added, citing potential disruptions of airports. 

Comparisons have been drawn between the PSAC's actions this week and those of the Freedom Convoy protestors, with many questioning why the government has not gone after them with the same ferocity with which they targeted the peaceful protests of early 2022.