B.C. launches review of province’s Labour Relations Code

British Columbia is launching a review of its Labour Relations Code and has appointed a three-member panel to recommend possible amendments.

Labour Minister Harry Bains says the panel has been told to report back to him by May 31 after consulting interest groups and Indigenous communities on the labour laws.

The code governs how provincially regulated employers interact with workers and trade unions, as well as collective bargaining issues such as dispute resolution.

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Bains says in a statement that the panel will also consider developments in other Canadian jurisdictions to make sure B.C.’s labour regulations are consistent with “rights and protections enjoyed by other Canadians.”

The province’s last comprehensive review of the labour code took place in 2018 and resulted in several amendments in 2019 and 2022, according to the Ministry of Labour.

The three-member panel consists of former mediator and B.C. Labour Relations Board associate chair Michael Fleming, as well as representatives of workers’ and employers’ interests.