Knowing the economic, social, and political environment and how it influences your Labour Laws in Canada and in your province is critical to your career and professional HR success.
Each province in Canada has its own jurisdiction and its own slant on labour laws. Occasionally, rulings are set down by the Supreme Court of Canada that change the way the province manages its Labour Relations laws. This is the case with a Supreme Court ruling on the right to strike in Saskatchewan’s Public Sector.
The Supreme Court ruled that Saskatchewan’s essential services legislation violated the fundamental principle of the right to strike, and gave the province a year to correct its essential services laws.
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Don Morgan, the Minister of Labour Relations in Saskatchewan, announced in a video clip that the Essential Services Labour Laws have been changed. The Provincial Government still has the right to limit the Public Sectors ability to strike.
Prior to this new legislation, if there was a dispute on the level of essential services, it was the government’s responsibility to settle the dispute. That has now changed, and if there is a dispute, there is a process and a tribunal set up to resolve the differences.
Click here to access the video.
Saskatchewan followed a Supreme Court of Canada ruling and has changed its labour laws to allow greater access of public sector employees the constitutional right to strike. All provinces should now review their own Essential Services Right to Strike Laws to see if it meets the new legal precedents as set out in Saskatchewan.
This is a great example that being aware of the ever changing social and political environment in Canada is required to become a top notch HR Professional.
Discussion Questions:
- How will giving the public sector the greater right to strike affect your life personally?
- Have you experienced a public sector strike before? If so, what impact did it have on your life?
- Should public sector employees have the right to strike? If yes, why? In no, whynot?