Discussion · Statements by Members
Jenny Kwan NDP
“Parliament passed a law banning replacement workers during strikes, but employers like the Bank of Canada are still using them. A law that is not enforced is a broken promise. The government must hold these employers accountable and protect workers.”
“Mr. Speaker, Parliament passed Bill C-58 last year, prohibiting the use of replacement workers during federal strikes and lockouts, yet the Bank of Canada, steps away from Parliament, where the Prime Minister was the governor for five years, was found by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to have violated Canada’s Labour Code not once but twice during the security officers’ strike. To add insult to injury, it used scabs from Garda and Pinkerton, known for their anti-union tactics and questionable human rights record. PSAC workers have been on strike for 119 days. Tom Doran, the president of ILWU Canada, said that scabs are being used at one of their job sites. A law that is not enforced is a promise broken. Employers must be held accountable, and the hard-working rights of workers must be respected. Passing Bill C-58 must mean what Parliament intended for it to mean, and that is to protect workers.”
Mr. Speaker, Parliament passed Bill C-58 last year, prohibiting the use of replacement workers during federal strikes and lockouts, yet the Bank of Canada, steps away from Parliament, where the Prime Minister was the governor for five years, was found by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to have violated Canada’s Labour Code not once but twice during the security officers’ strike. To add insult to injury, it used scabs from Garda and Pinkerton, known for their anti-union tactics and questionable human rights record. PSAC workers have been on strike for 119 days. Tom Doran, the president of ILWU Canada, said that scabs are being used at one of their job sites. A law that is not enforced is a promise broken. Employers must be held accountable, and the hard-working rights of workers must be respected. Passing Bill C-58 must mean what Parliament intended for it to mean, and that is to protect workers.