Feds set to make major changes to Canada’s labour code

The Liberal government in Canada is set to introduce significant amendments to the country's labour code during the upcoming fall sitting of Parliament. One of the primary objectives is to improve the process of reaching collective agreements between employers and unions, while also aiming to facilitate the intervention of federal resources in rare cases of chronic labour disputes.

This change would primarily impact Section 107 of the labour code, a section that has previously been employed to halt or curb work stoppages in essential industries.

Minister of Jobs and Economic Development, Patty Hajdu, clarified that the government's goal is to minimize the instances in which it has to resolve disputes between employers and unions. She emphasized that the government already possesses the authority to intervene but is seeking ways to reduce the frequency of such interventions.

Unions and business leaders have expressed concern over the potential to weaken the right to strike, arguing that a new power to prevent or terminate a legal strike could undermine this fundamental right. They have called for the inclusion of a neutral, third-party special mediator to report on bargaining and inform government actions, which could serve as a significant improvement in labour relations.