The possibility of an amendment to the Quebec Labor Code by Minister Jean Boulet to grant himself the discretionary power to impose arbitration in a labor dispute has made the Centrale des syndicats nationaux (CSN) jump.
“We invite Minister Boulet to think twice; the use of article 107 by the federal Minister of Labor is currently being contested in court and could well be judged unconstitutional,” reacted Monday the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville.
The provincial labor minister expressed interest in section 107 of the Canada Labor Code, which allowed Ottawa to end the strike in ports and the railway sector.
For there to be fewer conflicts, the Central Trade Union believes that there must first be effective and accessible mechanisms for mediation and conciliation, instead of working to “unbalance the balance of power in favor employers”.
In this regard, the president of the CSN recalls that labor conflicts are not all triggered by strikes, since “some are triggered by the employers themselves, when they place their workers in lockout “.
“Employers also often resort to scabs even though the Labor Code prohibits it. The minister should look into this, because the consequences for employers are slim and all this unnecessarily prolongs conflicts,” observed Mr.me Senneville.
