Madam Speaker, I strongly object to the amendments put forward by the so-called Reform Party because the whole issue of successive contracts or previous employers is one of those that cause the most controversy, problems and confusion in labour relations. It is always an extremely sensitive issue.
Section 47.3 improves the situation without going as far as the unions would have wanted. This provision is a rather limited improvement. It is important to mention what it states, for the benefit of our listeners. This provision requires an employer who succeeds a previous contractor as the provider of certain services in the air transportation industry to pay his employees as much as the employees of the previous contractor were entitled to.
We must understand that this issue of contracting out is a very sensitive one and that the intent of the legislation is to preserve a minimum that is unacceptable. It goes without saying that a union always wants to protect its members' jobs. In this case, again in an attempt to control damage, it is provided that the provider of services who succeeds a previous contractor must pay at least equal remuneration.
This is a new provision which seeks to protect the remuneration of unionized workers who might have been adversely affected
following the loss of a contract by their employer. The provision also seeks to ensure that the people working for the supplier who is awarded the contract receive decent wages. It has no impact on the right of a supplier to contract out, provided that the contractors comply with the compensation plan.
While we feel the act does not go far enough, it is nevertheless an improvement and we will strongly oppose the Reform amendment to clause 47.3.
There is also clause 43 amending section 97(a) of the code. New obligations are imposed, including, in clause 47.3, the obligation, for an employer who succeeds a previous contractor, to pay equal remuneration to his employees. The employer must also uphold the conditions of employment while waiting for the board's decision regarding the services to be maintained, preserve the conditions of employment of those employees required to work during a work stoppage to maintain services, and reinstate employees instead of keeping replacement workers. This improvement seeks to make labour relations more civilized. Therefore, we will strongly oppose the amendment tabled by the Reform Party.
The two other amendments also target succession rights. We want to emphasize the fact that this is a mistake. The hon. member must realize that this would not solve anything. It is not true that it would enable contractors to operate with total freedom. Rather, it would create conditions where workers and unions would have no choice but to fight and to use every means of pressure available to them.
Let us not forget that the Reform Party's next to last amendment targets a provision already included in a 1996 act, which also maintained certain rights for workers.
For all these reasons, we are asking the government not to support the amendments proposed by the Reform Party. I would like to support these amendments but, unfortunately, their content as well as the arguments raised by the Reform member give me no choice but to disagree with them.