Manitoba government plans to appeal ruling that quashed wage freeze

The Manitoba government is appealing a court ruling that quashed a wage freeze for 120,000 public-sector workers.

Premier Brian Pallister’s government has filed notice with the province’s Court of Appeal that it intends to challenge a lower-court ruling that said the wage freeze violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

READ MORE: Manitoba’s public sector wage freeze bill violates charter, court rules

A bill passed by the legislature in 2017 included a two-year wage freeze in each new collective agreement, followed by pay increases of 0.75 per cent in the third year and one per cent in the fourth.

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The bill was never proclaimed into law, but public-sector unions said it was affecting all collective agreement talks.

In June, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Joan McKelvey agreed, calling the bill “draconian,” and said it violated the charter right to association and collective bargaining.

Finance Minister Scott Fielding said the appeal is aimed at clearing up what governments can do to control costs.

1:18 Province to introduce bills that may freeze public-sector wages