Thursday, 7 February 2008

Essential Services Legislation: Will it facilitate or impair industrial relations? - CCPA

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Saskatchewan Branch has just released a new commentary by Dan Cameron from the Hill School of Business at the University of Regina respecting the Sask. Party's anti-democratic, and heavy handed introduction of so-called "Essential Services Legislation".

His commentary concludes with the following paragraph:

"It is unfortunate that the Essential Services Act has been introduced in acrimony, described in some circles as a settling of old scores with the labour movement and of favouring one collective bargaining party over another. The creation of a toxic relationship between government and labour is not a proper foundation for protecting the people of Saskatchewan from threats to their health, safety and security."
The entire article can be downloaded here in Adobe PDF format and is entitled: Essential Services Legislation: Will it facilitate or impair industrial relations?
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3 comments:

  1. plainjoe8 February 2008 at 00:01

    larry saw you on the late local news tonight, " you are worried about a 1/2 million workers in this Province that could be effected by the Essential Services Leg,"

    what cabbage leaf do you think people in Sask. were found under? if there are 1/2 a million people working in Sask. they sure don't belong to a union working for the Prov. govt...

    Larry tell the truth, you'll find people will be more willing to listen. Carry on creating boggy men where there are none...

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  2. Larry Hubich8 February 2008 at 07:32

    Joe,

    Thank you for participating in this blog.

    What you appear to be confused about is that there are two (2) Bills being discussed with respect to Labour Law. One - Bill 5 dealing with 'so-called' Essential Services. And Two - Bill 6 which proposes to amend the "Trade Union Act".

    The first Bill - #5, while the government would have you believe, it only affects unionized public sector workers - it actually can be interpreted (and has been by independent legal counsel) to effect any unionized worker.

    The second Bill - #6, impacts on "any" worker (unionized or not) as it deals with the processes of how workers get unionized in the first place.

    So, to make a long story short - the news conference was about both bills. My statement is true - these Bills affect the constitutional, charter and human rights of over 1/2 a million citizens in this province.

    And if, the proposed legislation does not interfere with workers charter rights, (as the government suggests) they should have no problem whatsoever referring these Bills to the Court of Appeal to determine their constitutionality.

    Strangely, (at least initially) the government is resisting doing that. What are they afraid of?

    I encourage you to read the Bills - they don't actually say what the government is telling you they say.

    Thanks again.

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  3. plainjoe8 February 2008 at 10:20

    Sorry, the way you came across(or me reading it the wrong way) made it sound like you were talking about the E.S.B.

    I see it as what the people want.. the vast majority of Sask. people want this..

    your request to have the gov't foot the bill to justify our action against it is stupid.... you guys foot your own legal bills... and let the courts decide who is right

    one thing I do know a law can be inturpited many different ways by lawyers and judges time to throw the dice

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