Labour groups are making one final push to tell the Wall government that drastic changes to labour legislation are not welcome.
In early May, the government launched a public consultation process as it tries to amalgamate 15 pieces of legislation into one act. As part of the consultation, a number of questions were asked to the public about possible changes to labour laws.
“All of our fathers and grandfathers fought for all of our labour laws,” said SGEU Provincial Campaign Coordinator Curt Woytiuk. “I think we need to be building on them, not taking them away.”
What concerns labour groups most are questions in the consultation paper around who should pay union dues, and whether there should be more flexibility in the number of hours an employee can work each week.
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“The 40-hour work week, holidays, everything else could be up for grabs,” added Woytiuk.
The Labour Minister insists that is not the intent of this review.
“There will be no reduction in the amount of holidays, nothing will be taken away,” said Don Morgan. “It’s a matter of enhancing flexibility for people.”
Morgan says the goal of the consultation paper was to generate discussion about labour laws in Saskatchewan, and it has had the desired affect. There have been about 1,000 submissions, and it will now be up to a minister’s advisory panel that includes both labour and business to develop recommendations.
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“I wouldn’t regard this as something where we’re going to do what took place in Wisconsin,” said Morgan, referring to legislation introduced in the mid-west state in 2011 that took aim at collective bargaining rights. “This is a matter of making small, but we think necessary, changes.”
The Saskatchewan NDP says the entire process has been inadequate, and plans to launch a public consultation process of its own.
“We have to get labour laws right in order to have a modern and productive economy,” said NDP Labour Critic David Forbes in a release. “The success of every employer; the rights, safety and paycheque of every worker and Saskatchewan’s economic stability depend on fair labour laws.”
The government review was prompted by a provincial judge order to make changes to essential services legislation. Deadline for submissions is July 31st. New legislation is expected to be introduced in the fall.
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