NDP Will Table Anti-Scab Legislation in Support of Workers

OTTAWA – Today, NDP Labour Critic Scott Duvall (Hamilton Mountain) announced that he will re-introduce anti-scab legislation that will support workers in disputes with their employers who use replacement workers.

“The use of scabs undermines workers’ ability to negotiate fairly and it hurts labour relations. Scabs prolong strikes and give the employer little incentive to reach a fair deal,” said Duvall. “Trudeau likes to say that he supports workers but when push comes to shove, he always takes the side of big corporations.”

In 2010, Justin Trudeau voted for anti-scab legislation while in opposition. But then, in September 2016, the Trudeau Liberals voted against NDP legislation that would ban the use of replacement workers. While the current conflict in Saskatchewan between CO-OP and UNIFOR is under provincial jurisdiction, the use of replacement workers is a problem affecting people across the country and the federal government needs to show some leadership on the issue.

“In Regina, the company’s use of scabs has raised many concerns. In my riding, MANA has replacement workers for more than 6 years, forcing workers to find another job while continuing to picket. Enough is enough,” said Duvall. “The Liberals need to support our anti-scab bill to defend workers’ ability to negotiate fairly. The federal government needs to protect workers and lead the way by banning replacement workers like some provinces have already done.”