The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU Canada) stood strongly in defence of workers in the Union’s submission to the Employment and Social Development Canada’s open consultation on proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code.
SIU Canada’s submission on changes to the labour code was a response to the wide-ranging review by the Labour Program which includes reviewing policies that dictate rules around collective bargaining and strike timelines, the use of section 107, and other areas that have a direct impact on the rights of seafarers and all unionized workers.
In its submission, the union notes that the biggest change in recent years that has destabilized the labour relations environment in Canada is the government’s use of section 107 of the Canada Labour Code that forces binding arbitration through government intervention and has been used to strip workers of their Charter-protected right to strike.
The SIU Canada stresses that any reforms to the Canada Labour Code should focus on strengthening fairness, transparency, stability, predictability and good faith bargaining practices. Protecting and preserving the rights of workers and their unions is paramount and is at the core of who we are as a country.
Read the SIU Canada’s full submission here.
