All workers in Canada should be disgusted by the federal government's proposal to legislate a ban on public service strikes until 2010-11, says the head of Canada's largest public service union.

"It's an affront to free collective bargaining. It's just atrocious," said John Gordon, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada on Thursday, responding to the proposal announced earlier in the day by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty as part of his fiscal and economic update.

The strike ban wouldn't affect PSAC, as the union reached tentative deals with the federal government this week for 100,000 of its members that don't expire until after the strike ban does, Gordon said.

But he said he was still disgusted by the move "because in very tough times, we approached the negotiations over the last week in a responsible way."

The union represents 165,000 workers.

In his statement, Flaherty also proposed legislation to cap wage increases for public servants at 2.3 per cent for last year and 1.5 per cent each year for the next three years.

Gordon said that would override collective agreements that have already been negotiated, including one that includes a 2.5 per cent increase next year for 30,000 employees of the Canada Revenue Agency.

Many measures in the economic update are expected to be introduced as legislation next Monday.