This is a recommendation from CUPE, who appeared before the committee. It's on pay transparency.
This is another hole that the labour partners in good faith are trying to repair. CUPE's submission to the committee outlined how crucial transparency is to pay equity processes. They said in their experience, transparency and clear communication with employees is necessary for pay equity processes to function effectively. Given the importance of pay transparency and the government's commitment to this concept in the 2018 federal budget, CUPE submitted that proposed subsections 23(1) and 24(1) be amended.
Proposed subsection 23(1) fails to ensure that the employer will be obligated to provide the committee with sufficient and meaningful information to eliminate pay discrimination. CUPE submitted that the requirement to provide only that “information in the employer's possession that the committee considers necessary for the establishment of the pay equity plan” is unnecessarily broad, and that the phrase “in the employer's possession” would appear to insulate the employer from requesting or compiling information from other sources. They submitted that this clause conflicts with the requirement in proposed subsection 23(2) on employee and bargaining agents to provide “any information within their knowledge and control”.
They also were concerned that proposed subsection 24(1) requires that the committee keep all information confidential, which fails to ensure transparency in the establishment of a pay equity plan and hinders trust in the process.
The two amendments that we propose, as written by CUPE, are to amend proposed subsection 23(1) so that it would read, “An employer must provide the pay equity committee with any information in the employer's knowledge and control that the committee considers necessary for the establishment of the pay equity plan.”
Secondly, they recommend removing proposed section 24 from the act entirely.
Thank you, Chair.