With his government’s reputation for transparency and accountability in tatters over the Senate scandal, Harper tries to change the channel by once again going after his favourite target: Canada’s workers.
Like changes to employment insurance (EI), to the Temporary Foreign Worker program, and now with Bill C-525, Harper is continuing his economic strategy of low-paying jobs and of attacking anyone who stands in his way.
His latest attack is the through the introduction, by a Conservative backbencher, of Bill C-525 – another piece of US Republican-style regressive labour legislation that will make it virtually impossible for workers covered under the Canada LabourCode to join a union.
Bill C-525 targets the ability of workers to exercise their constitutional right to join a union by making unilateral changes to the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relation Act,and the Public Service Relations Act which make it even more difficult to join a union but easier to leave a union.
This bill has been introduced without any consultation with employee or employer representatives, which is contrary to the long tradition of formally consulting both employers and unions and trying to reach a consensus before making any changes to the Canada Labour Code.
While Bill C-525 only affects those employees in the federal sector, if successful we will see other provincial Conservative governments enacting the same type of regressive US Republican-style labour legislation.
