Photo: The Canadian Press

Headquarters of the Department of National Defence in Ottawa.

Two unions representing Canadian defence employees are calling on the federal government to stop privatizing National Defence services.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of National Defence Employees say the government is spending far more than it would on those services had it done the work in-house.

And they warn that contract employees are not being afforded the same protections as Defence Department workers during the pandemic, putting them and their families at greater risk of COVID-19.

In a comprehensive report released Monday, the unions say there is a lack of evidence that private contractors save taxpayers money and substantial evidence indicating they are costing the department more.

The report indicates the Defence Department spent nearly $4 billion on private contractors in fiscal 2018-19.

The department has for decades used private contractors to provide services such as clerical administration, firefighting, helicopter maintenance and cleaning.