Managers of federally regulated workplaces will soon be prohibited from hiring replacement workers during a legal strike.
The Senate on Monday adopted the Liberal government’s “anti-scab” bill, which provides for a fine of up to $100,000 per day for employers who use replacement workers during a strike .
This bill was a key element of the political pact between the Liberals and the New Democrats. It was adopted in the House of Commons with unanimous support from MPs from all parties.
“Federally regulated” industries and workplaces of course include the public sector and federal Crown corporations, but also transportation, financial institutions, telecommunications, postal services and ports.
Union leaders welcomed the changes as a victory for worker protection and bargaining power.
But the Canadian Chamber of Commerce warns that small businesses and families who rely on essential services provided by federally regulated sectors could suffer during a strike.
The new rules will come into force one year after the bill receives royal assent — a delay deplored by the Bloc Québécois.
In Quebec, amendments to the Labor Code adopted in 1977 prevent a provincially regulated employer from using scabs. Since 1990, the Bloc Québécois has presented to the Commons around ten anti-scab bills for federally regulated businesses, which have never been adopted.
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