November 18, 2002
Foreign Service Directives Committee
The Executive Committee of the National Joint Council (NJC) is pleased to announce that it recently accepted the report of the Foreign Service Directives Committee which completes the second part of Phase II of the Cyclical Review of the Foreign Service Directives (FSD). The amendments proposed in the report were approved with an effective date of September 1st, 2002.
The first part of the Phase II amendments was approved earlier this year and came into effect June 1st, 2002.
The key thrust of both phases of the review was to update the Directives to better reflect the needs of a modern Foreign Service, balance the benefits to ensure fairness, and make necessary administrative changes.
As a result of the parties' deliberations, the following directives were significantly revised:
· FSD 34 – Education Allowances
· FSD 35 – Education Travel
· FSD 51 – Family Reunion
Minor changes were also made:
· FSD 2 – Interpretation
· FSD 9 – Medical and Dental Examinations
· FSD 17 – Spousal Assistance
· FSD 32 – Day Care Assistance
· FSD 38 – Preventive Medical Services Expenses
· FSD 40 – Provincial Health Insurance Premiums – Dependants Resident in Canada
· FSD 54 – Compassionate Travel
· FSD 64 – Emergency Evacuation and Loss
A consolidation of the FSDs will be prepared for publication on April 1st, 2003. This exercise is required to ensure that all the FSDs and cross-references are in line with new or amended provisions.
The new directive is available on the NJC Web site. Further detailed information on the changes to the Directives is also available via the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/tbm_1112/fsd-dse_e.html).
DFAIT will communicate the changes to all affected employees with details on how to obtain further clarification.
The Executive Committee wishes to thank all members of the FSD Committee for their effort and commitment in this important review.