Thank you, Mr. Chair. My name is Barbara Moran. I'm the director general for strategic policy, analysis and workplace information at the labour program at ESDC. I'm joined today by Lori Straznicky, who's an executive director with the labour program.
I'm here to discuss amendments that are being proposed in part I of the Canada Labour Code. Part I of the code governs industrial relations and establishes the framework for collective bargaining between unions and employers in the federally regulated private sector. Part I applies to industries such as air transportation, interprovincial and international transportation, banking, telecommunications and broadcasting.
Amendments are proposed to better protect employees in the air transportation sector affected by contract retendering at airports. Many employees in the air transportation sector have continued to work through the pandemic, deep-cleaning aircraft, safely handling baggage and performing other critical services that have allowed essential air travel to continue.
These employees are at risk when a service contract changes hands between contractors. This practice, known as contract retendering, can result in employees being paid less when they're laid off and rehired, even if they're rehired to do the same work.
There's currently an equal remuneration protection in section 47.3 of part I of the code that ensures that after a case of contract retendering, the new contractor cannot remunerate pre-board security screeners at a rate lower than that provided by the previous contractor under the terms of the collective agreement.
The equal remuneration protection currently only applies to employers covered by part I of the code that provide [Technical difficulty—Editor] by way of a contract for services with another employer.
The proposed amendments will extend equal remuneration protection to all federally regulated employees covered by a collective agreement in the air transportation sector who are working at airports. This will ensure that when a service contract changes hands, affected employees are not paid less than employees of the previous contractor who provided the same or substantially similar services.
I'm happy to take any questions.