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Canada’s navy is launching a shakeup of its public service workforce with a plan that will see responsibilities for ship repair and maintenance shifted to the private sector.

The jobs of around 1,000 public servants – including around 200 in the Ottawa area – could be affected, warn union leaders.

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Although they don’t expect layoffs, at least yet, they see the federal jobs disappearing over time through attrition as employees with private companies take over maintaining the new ships the federal government intends to purchase in the coming decades.

“It’s a major shift,” said John MacLennan, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees. “It’s certainly not public-service friendly.”

Department of National Defence spokeswoman Ashley Lemire said in an email that the goal is to establish a comprehensive in-service support system for future ships.

“The intent is to develop and expand Canadian industrial expertise in naval maintenance while ensuring core capabilities are available within government, by moving toward more strategic partnerships with industry,” she explained.