Ottawa threatens to discipline diplomats taking job action Ottawa is threatening disciplinary action against foreign service officers over an e-mail campaign stating that their union is in a legal strike position. The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers says its members, which include diplomats and visa and immigration officers, are paid substantially less than those who do similar jobs in Canada. The union, which has been without a contract since June of 2011, says it will continue to take incremental job action in an effort to force the federal government back to the bargaining table. Earlier this week, foreign service officers launched an "electronic picket" by creating an out-of-office message on their government e-mail accounts explaining that their union is in a legal strike position and apologizing for any delay in responding to messages. The note is sent automatically to anyone who e-mails a foreign service officer taking part in the job action and includes a link to a web page detailing the union's grievances. The union hopes the campaign will help push the government back to the bargaining table, and says it expects to take further action in the coming weeks if no progress is made. On Thursday afternoon, the union's members received a sharply worded message demanding that they remove the automatic e-mail reply. Nadir Patel, an assistant deputy minister in the Department of Foreign Affairs, said in the e-mailed note that foreign service officers should not be using their work e-mail for anything that could have an adverse effect on the department. "The use of the department's electronic mail system, including the "Out of Office" feature or modifications or additions to signature blocks to promote an agenda that is adverse to the interests of the department must cease immediately," the message states. Should such inappropriate use of electronic mail continue, it may result in administrative or disciplinary measures up to and including termination of employment. The department did not immediately respond to questions about the note on Friday afternoon. Timothy Edwards, the union's president, said the union has instructed members to continue the "electronic picket" while the union files a complaint with the Labour Relations Board. Mr. Edwards said foreign service officers are paid significantly less to do the same work that many other government employees who remain in Canada. He said the union has already made concessions, including accepting an cap on annual pay increases and the loss of severance pay for resignations and retirements. "At the end of the day, we're just trying to catch up with what these other groups have already been granted in current or previous rounds of bargaining," he said.