Good morning, Mr. Chair and hon. committee members.
Thank you for giving the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, the FTQ, the opportunity to speak to Bill C‑58. The FTQ represents 600,000 workers in Quebec across all sectors, including some federally regulated businesses. We have members who work in ports, telecommunications, cable, airports and rail, among others. Currently, we have two groups that are locked out in federally regulated businesses: Videotron employees in Gatineau, very close to here, and the longshoremen at the Port of Quebec, who have been locked out for 18 months.
The FTQ applauds the current government's decision to introduce a bill to prohibit the use of scabs in the event of a dispute, be it a lockout or a strike. For years, and I would even say a few decades, the central labour body has been calling for this kind of legislation. I would also say that it's one thing to introduce a bill, but it's another thing to get it passed. However, we must pass this bill very quickly, because we've been waiting for it for a long time. It must be passed during the current Parliament, and to that end, the FTQ is asking all parliamentarians from all political parties in the House of Commons to lend a hand.
Bill C‑58 has been a long time coming for the FTQ. It will improve the collective bargaining process, because scabs are being used far too often. They undermine the settlement of collective agreements by prolonging disputes. That's a proven fact. Bill C‑58 restrikes a certain balance of power between workers and employers. I'd say that the bill gives real meaning to the fundamental right of association and strike, which is recognized and has been recognized in recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions.
Yes, we at the FTQ are happy. In December 2022, we submitted a brief as part of the consultation conducted by Employment and Social Development Canada. In it, we addressed our general requests for the introduction of a bill. Now that the bill is being studied, it's most important that Parliament be able to pass it quickly. In that regard, I will propose the amendments that are most important to us.
First, the bill seeks to protect workers in federally regulated industries from the use of scabs during a strike or lockout. We find it hard to understand why employees of the federal public service and employees of Parliament are excluded from the bill in its current form. They should be protected like all other workers. It may have been an oversight or a mistake, but it can easily be corrected.
Second, we're concerned about the proposed new clause 94(5) of the Canada Labour Code. Reading that paragraph, we could conclude that just before starting negotiations, an employer can call on subcontractors and that the employees of that subcontractor can perform the duties of workers who are locked out or on strike, or perform similar tasks. It makes no sense to us. In the text of the bill, it would be a bit like giving an employer planning a lockout a recipe for using scabs without them being considered scabs within the meaning of the act. This clause is of great concern to us. We believe it should simply be removed from the bill.
Third, with respect to the act coming into force, there is an 18-month period between the day it receives royal assent and its effective date. We believe that the new act should come into force as soon as it receives royal assent, since it doesn't require the implementation of a complex organizational structure and, in our view, there's no reason for an 18-month delay.
I'm available to answer your questions.
Thank you again.