At a time when an exceptionally large snowfall has blanketed Quebec, Labour Minister Jean Boulet has chosen this moment to release a bill aimed at limiting the length of strikes and lockouts. This is an opportunistic but vain attempt to attack yet again the right to strike.
“Minister Boulet is playing groundhog this year. He’s hoping that his bill will see its shadow and be passed into law. But let me be clear. This bill will not see its shadow, because we’ll do everything we can so that it never sees the light of day. We’ll be there to fight it every step of the way,” said Patrick Gloutney, president of CUPE Quebec.
CUPE Quebec points out that the right to strike is a fundamental right protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and recognized by the Supreme Court in the Saskatchewan decision. Restricting this right would only alter the democratic balance of labour relations.
“Last December 24, we warned the minister – if you meddle with the right to strike, you’ll have us to deal with. If he continues to be grumpy, we’ll also forge ahead. You don’t build a fair society by waging repeated attacks on the rights of workers,” added Gloutney.
CUPE Quebec claims that it will not hesitate to use every necessary means, which includes legal action, to defend this fundamental right.