The federal government has reached a tentative labour agreement with 95,000 of its public servants in a deal that includes a wage increase.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada said it reached a tentative deal with the Treasury Board for new collective agreements for three of its five bargaining units late Monday.

The tentative agreements, which affect mainly program and administrative staff, include a 5.3 per cent wage increase over the next three years and changes to severance pay. They are a result of exploratory talks on contracts set to expire in 2011.

PSAC said it agreed to enter negotiations with the aim of providing economic security to its members at a time of economic uncertainty.

But not all groups fared as well — exploratory talks for border services and technical services groups ended without an agreement, with regular bargaining set to resume in February 2011.

"We are confident that we got a fair deal for many of our members which will lead to permanent improvements to working conditions," PSAC's national president John Gordon said in a statement released Monday night.

"We are nevertheless very disappointed with Treasury Board for their unwillingness to address important issues for Border and Technical Services."

Treasury Board President Stockwell Day said he's pleased with the way talks went.

The tentative agreements, which need to be ratified, involve members of the program and administrative services group, the education and library science group and the operational services group.

PSAC is one of Canada's largest unions and represents more than 172,000 people countrywide.