Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s public servants show “unwavering professionalism” in doing their jobs after more than two years of botched pay cheques by the malfunctioning Phoenix pay system.

Trudeau kicked off National Public Service Week thanking public servants for their “hard work and dedication” that “makes a difference each day in the lives of Canadians,” while promising to resolve outstanding pay problems as quickly as possible.

National Public Service Week, which began in 1992 to honour the work of Canada’s 300,000 public servants, runs from June 10 to 16.

“Public servants continue to show unwavering professionalism as they face unacceptable hardships caused by the implementation of the Phoenix pay system. The government will continue to work diligently to make sure every employee gets the pay they are owed,” Trudeau said in a statement.

It’s the third year, the Phoenix pay fiasco hangs over public service week, but it looms large this year, coming on the heels of Auditor General Michael Ferguson’s devastating report calling Phoenix an “incomprehensible failure” that will happen again if public service culture isn’t changed.

Phoenix and its impact will be in the spotlight this week when Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick, Canada’s top bureaucrat and head of the public service, will be testifying at committees on Ferguson’s report, particularly to address concerns about the ‘broken’ culture of the public service that led to the pay system’s calamitous mismanagement.

Trudeau’s message didn’t address the unions growing demands for damages to compensate public servants for the stress, frustration and financial losses of Phoenix foul-ups. Last month, the largest union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) appealed to Trudeau to intervene and kick start stalled negotiations for a possible settlement.

Discussions between the government and union on damages have quietly unfolded for months. Unions felt confident several months ago that a settlement was within sight, but they say talks fizzled when federal negotiators said they didn’t have a mandate from the government. At the same time, a class action suit for non-unionized federal employees is also underway for damages.

In his message, Trudeau said the government is working with unions, “our public service partners,” to resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible. He cited the additional $431 million earmarked in the budget to stabilize Phoenix, hire more staff, improve support for employees in departments and work on a new system to replace Phoenix.

PSAC is encouraging its members to use National Public Service Week as an opportunity to crank up the pressure for damages and other Phoenix demands. It is distributing new “Burnt By Phoenix” stickers for members to wear during the week. In previous years, PSAC has boycotted the event.

At its May convention, PSAC passed a sweeping resolution calling for ‘escalating action’ on Phoenix, which included damages and a call for a public inquiry to ensure a fiasco like Phoenix never happens again.

Many have argued Ferguson’s report could strengthen unions’ hand for damages and at

collective bargaining, which is also gearing up for a new round.

Trudeau patted public servants on the back for their “leadership, passion and commitment” whether handling spring flooding, last week’s tense G7 summit or supporting Canadians abroad. He said the public service has “worldwide recognition” – it was picked last year the most effective in public service in the world.

“From bringing new initiatives to life, to carrying out ongoing services, federal public servants continue to set an example for service excellence around the world,” he said. “In communities across Canada, public servants are finding innovative solutions to the challenges we face, and tackling the issues that matter most to Canadians – from promoting diversity and inclusion, to growing economies that work for everyone.”