Protesters voiced their opposition to proposed anti-strike legislation on Friday. A few dozen demonstrators outside of MP Shannon Miedema’s office in downtown Halifax around noon. They were rallying against a bill from the federal Liberals that would speed up major projects and make changes to the Canada Labour Code. When the bill was announced in Parliament in September, the government said those changes would “strengthen collective bargaining by helping parties address issues earlier, reach negotiated agreements, and resolve disputes while fully protecting the right to strike.” Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement the legislation would “protect the right to strike while reinforcing the responsibility of unions and employers to negotiate in good faith.” But labour groups have been quick to warn about adverse effects from the changes involved in Bill C-39, saying they could strip workers of their right to strike. The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour says it’s against the changes to Section 107 of the federal labour code. Melissa Marsman, president of the federation, released a statement shortly after the Liberals tabled the bill, declaring she was “appalled” by the proposed changes. “Although this debate is happening in Ottawa, the stakes couldn’t be higher for workers in Nova Scotia,” she wrote. “If passed, Canada’s Minister of Labour will have the power to intervene and end strikes at their sole discretion, without any legislative oversight.” She said Nova Scotia already has some of the weakest legal protections for workers in Canada. “If the government wants to avoid strikes, it needs to create an environment that encourages employers to bargain in good faith,” she said. “Section 107 eliminates any incentive for employers to bargain fairly. We saw this with Air Canada flight attendants, where the employer allowed negotiations to fail as a pretext for government intervention.” The bill has yet to be passed in the House of Commons. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
