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Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body
Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body- 23. The Committee last examined this case at its March 2015 meeting [see
374th Report, paras 184–219]. On that occasion, the Committee made the following
recommendations:
- (a) The Committee expects that in the
future the Government will engage, at an early stage of the process, in full and
frank consultations with the relevant workers’ and employers’ organizations on any
questions or proposed legislation affecting trade union rights so as to permit the
attainment of mutually acceptable solutions.
- (b) Noting
that the Public Sector Services Continuation Act (Bill 45) is not currently in force
and is the subject of domestic litigation, the Committee requests the Government to
keep it informed of the outcome of the judicial proceedings and expects that its
conclusions above will be taken into account within the framework of the review Bill
45.
- 24. By a communication dated 16 July 2015, the Government of Canada
transmits the following observations of the Government of Alberta.
- – On 30
January 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Saskatchewan
Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan (SFL decision) concerning the Government of
Saskatchewan’s “essential services” labour legislation for the public sector. The
Court ruled that the right to strike, when collective bargaining reaches an impasse,
is constitutionally protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
because such a right is necessary for meaningful collective bargaining. The Court
struck down Saskatchewan essential services legislation as unconstitutional because
it restricted the right to strike more than necessary to ensure provision of
essential services.
- – On 30 March 2015, the Government of Alberta repealed
the Public Sector Services Continuation Act with Bill 24, the Public Sector Services
Continuation Repeal Act.
- – Additionally, the domestic litigation concerning
the Public Sector Services Continuation Act concluded when the Government of Alberta
did not oppose a court order that declared section 70 of the Public Service Employee
Relations Act and sections 96(1)(b) and (c) of the Labour Relations Code (the strike
prohibitions at issue in this case) as unconstitutional and invalid. The court order
was signed on 31 March 2015 and suspended the declaration of invalidity for one year
to allow time for the Government of Alberta to introduce replacement
legislation.
- 25. The Government of Canada concludes that with the repeal of Bill 45,
Public Sector Services Continuation Act on 30 March 2015, all outstanding legal
proceedings related to this piece of legislation have concluded.
- 26. The Committee takes notes of this information with interest.