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OTTAWA — A Federal Court hearing began Monday to determine whether a group of black civil servants can launch a class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination in the federal government.

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The certification hearing, which is being held in Toronto, could take up to 12 days.

The class action is made up of about 45,000 people who have worked for the government since 1970. They are seeking $2.5 billion in lost wages and pensions.

“Today, we are stepping up our tactics,” Nicholas Marcus Thompson, CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, told the court.

“State-sponsored discrimination is not acceptable.”

The plaintiffs allege widespread discrimination in the public service, citing reports of anti-black racism at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and an internal report on discrimination at the Privy Council Office.

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They say that black civil servants have been systematically denied employment and promotion opportunities because of their race, and that there is a hostile work environment and an underrepresentation of black employees in senior roles.

The federal government said the complainants could have brought individual concerns to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Government ministers have said they remain committed to removing barriers and ensuring black employees have every opportunity to succeed.

A Senate report on anti-black racism in the Canadian Human Rights Commission, released last December, found a “crisis of confidence” in the body and questioned its ability to respond to human rights complaints in a “fair and equitable manner”.

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The study was prompted by grievances against the commission over its treatment of black and racialized employees.

The senators found that some employees were harmed by their employer, and the report noted that discrimination in the workplace can have significant and lasting effects.

“It is never acceptable, but it is a daily fact of life for many people of color and people of color in Canada,” the report said.

Along with the Toronto plaintiffs, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said federal employees should have confidence they won’t be discriminated against in the workplace.

“Stop fighting the workers in court and settle this case,” he asked the government.

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