Federal union concerned about planned cuts to Translation Bureau

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This article was published 20/03/2025 (561 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – A major federal union says it’s worried about a plan to eliminate more than 300 positions at Canada’s Translation Bureau.

In a news release, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees said it’s condemning a five-year business plan that would shrink the bureau’s workforce by almost 25 per cent.

The Translation Bureau is a federal service under Public Services and Procurement Canada that provides translation and interpretation to government departments and private clients.

A government document containing highlights of the Translation Bureau’s business plan from 2025 to 2030, obtained by The Canadian Press, says the bureau plans to ensure its financial viability by dropping 339 employees through natural attrition over five years.

The document says the plan reflects “an overall drop” in demand for traditional translation services in the industry.

CAPE said the cuts will force translators to work faster with fewer resources, resulting in “an unacceptable decline in quality.”

The union said the Translation Bureau mainly translates from English into French, meaning that francophone communities will be “disproportionately affected.”

“We are outraged that the Canadian government’s Translation Bureau would betray its fundamental role in fulfilling the Official Languages Act,” said CAPE president Nathan Prier.

Prier is calling on Public Services and Procurement Minister Ali Ehsassi to reverse the “misguided plan” and adequately fund the Translation Bureau.

Michèle LaRose, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said in an email that the bureau adjusts its financial forecasts for services provided to federal departments and agencies every year.

“The Translation Bureau will continue to update its projections annually based on changes in client demand,” LaRose said.

The government document says departments are turning to online translation services “via free Internet tools” or are “investing on their own to deploy translation tools powered by artificial intelligence.”

It says the volume of words processed by the Translation Bureau decreased by 1.34 per cent in 2022-2023 and by 7.78 per cent in 2023-2024, due to a drop in demand from 120 departments and agencies.

The government says that volume is expected to decrease by another 9.38 per cent in 2024-2025 — because of the government’s plans to refocus spending, an increase in the rates the bureau charges for its services and the growing adoption of machine translation tools — and by 2.36 per cent in 2025–2026 because of the reduced demand during elections and another rate increase.

The document said the bureau will ensure that key and specialized positions remain filled.

The federal government was forced to adjust the simultaneous translation set-up in the House of Commons and committee rooms last year after several language interpreters suffered significant hearing injuries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.