Changes to Part II of the Canada Labour Code
In October 2013, the Conservative government tabled Bill C4 – an omnibus bill that would redefine the concept of "danger" in the workplace. It would also give the government the ability to decide what is considered an 'essential service.'
Bill C4 was created to remove health and safety rights from those workers’ covered under the Canadian Labour Code; approximately 1.5 million federal employees in sectors such as railway, shipping, mining, telecommunications and aviation. It would also rework the arbitration process and negatively impact workers’ rights’ to refuse unsafe work. Further, these changes would eliminate independent health and safety officers, relegating their responsibilities to political appointees of the Minister of Labour.
These changes went into effect on October 31, 2014.
"The government has changed the workplace safety rules which may put your well-being at risk," said Cheryl Robinson, President of Unifor local 2002. "These tactless amendments to Canada’s Labour Code benefit employers and no one else. These 'amendments' could also get people killed on the job."
In essence, Bill C4 has turned back the clock 50 years and removed gains that unions, safety advocates and previous governments worked so hard to create.
Unifor - then the Canadian Auto Workers Union - had a campaign that voiced workers' concerns and demanded that these changes not be put in place. However, our collective voices fell on deaf ears and now those drastic changes have taken effect.
In October 2013, the Conservative government tabled Bill C4 – an omnibus bill that would redefine the concept of "danger" in the workplace. It would also give the government the ability to decide what is considered an 'essential service.'
Bill C4 was created to remove health and safety rights from those workers’ covered under the Canadian Labour Code; approximately 1.5 million federal employees in sectors such as railway, shipping, mining, telecommunications and aviation. It would also rework the arbitration process and negatively impact workers’ rights’ to refuse unsafe work. Further, these changes would eliminate independent health and safety officers, relegating their responsibilities to political appointees of the Minister of Labour.
These changes went into effect on October 31, 2014.
"The government has changed the workplace safety rules which may put your well-being at risk," said Cheryl Robinson, President of Unifor local 2002. "These tactless amendments to Canada’s Labour Code benefit employers and no one else. These 'amendments' could also get people killed on the job."
In essence, Bill C4 has turned back the clock 50 years and removed gains that unions, safety advocates and previous governments worked so hard to create.
Unifor - then the Canadian Auto Workers Union - had a campaign that voiced workers' concerns and demanded that these changes not be put in place. However, our collective voices fell on deaf ears and now those drastic changes have taken effect.