Liberals join Conservatives to kill worker protection motion

OTTAWA - “With workers' rights at stake, Liberals joined with the Conservative government to kill a motion designed to level the playing field for workers in federally regulated industries during a strike,” said New Democrat Labour Critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain).

Anti-scab legislation had Liberal support in the last Parliament, but this motion failed when Liberals chose to side with the Conservative government.

Anti-scab legislation would bring labour stability and even the playing field for workers and employers. Similar long-standing provincial legislation in B.C and Quebec has seen the number and length of labour disputes decline while economic investment in those provinces has soared.

“Workers' rights have been chipped away at in Canadian legislation over the past 25 years. We saw worker’s rights further attacked in the Conservatives’ January budget, with attacks on Pay Equity and collective bargaining. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that the collective bargaining process is protected under the law,” said Charlton.