Liberals withdraw support after essential service amendments overruled
The federal Liberals have withdrawn their support of the anti-scab legislation before the House of Commons.
Liberal leader Stéphane Dion announced his party's position on Feb. 28, after the Speaker of the House ruled the amendments to the bill that would protect the delivery of essential services were inadmissible.
The Speaker, Liberal Peter Milliken, said the amendments were inadmissible because they went beyond what is allowed under Parliamentary procedures.
The Liberal Party has said it supports a prohibition on the use of replacement workers in strikes and lockouts in industries such as telecommunications, banking and railways, but it had proposed amendments to the bill to make essential services exempt from the ban.
When those amendments were overruled, Dion withdrew his party's support of the bill.
Mario Silva, the Liberal labour critic and author of the essential services amendments, said that Liberal MPs will be allowed to vote as they choose, but the party's leadership will not be supporting the bill.
With only the Bloc Québecois and the NDP supporting the bill originally introduced by the Bloc, the bill doesn't have much chance of making it into law.
The bill, which would affect all federally regulated companies, passed second reading in the Commons in late October by a vote of 167-101.
Labour groups say eliminating replacement workers would shorten the length of strikes and reduce the risk of violence on picket lines. However, business groups said the bill would upset the current balance in labour-management relations and prevent managers from filling in for striking workers.
Liberal leader Stéphane Dion announced his party's position on Feb. 28, after the Speaker of the House ruled the amendments to the bill that would protect the delivery of essential services were inadmissible.
The Speaker, Liberal Peter Milliken, said the amendments were inadmissible because they went beyond what is allowed under Parliamentary procedures.
The Liberal Party has said it supports a prohibition on the use of replacement workers in strikes and lockouts in industries such as telecommunications, banking and railways, but it had proposed amendments to the bill to make essential services exempt from the ban.
When those amendments were overruled, Dion withdrew his party's support of the bill.
Mario Silva, the Liberal labour critic and author of the essential services amendments, said that Liberal MPs will be allowed to vote as they choose, but the party's leadership will not be supporting the bill.
With only the Bloc Québecois and the NDP supporting the bill originally introduced by the Bloc, the bill doesn't have much chance of making it into law.
The bill, which would affect all federally regulated companies, passed second reading in the Commons in late October by a vote of 167-101.
Labour groups say eliminating replacement workers would shorten the length of strikes and reduce the risk of violence on picket lines. However, business groups said the bill would upset the current balance in labour-management relations and prevent managers from filling in for striking workers.
