Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege and pleasure to rise this morning and speak on Bill C-262 which is before the House. As a former member of a trade union for many years, I find it interesting that this bill would be put forward at this time, although the issues before us are very serious.
The bill calls for amendments to some sections of the Canada Labour Code which impact labour dispute settlement mechanisms. Specifically, the title of the bill states that it is intended to provide for the settlement of labour disputes affecting the export of grain by arbitration and to amend the Public Service Staff Relations Act in consequence thereof.
I strongly suggest the bill is not appropriate both in the legislation and in its timing as it would introduce an unfortunate mechanism. The government is currently in the process of making unprecedented changes to the grain transportation system which will have far reaching effects, rather than bringing yet another complex mix and not bringing about the change we are looking for.
This is not the way we want to solve the problems we are experiencing in the grain handling system. It is important to note that we already have the means to alleviate the problems. Recently introduced legislation meant that dock workers had to return to their jobs in Vancouver and grain and other shipments were moving.
The issue demands more than just a temporary measure. The labour minister has introduced a commission to study labour relations at established ports. The commission will look into the long term solutions to this dispute and similar ones in the future. The commission, I should add, is only part of the government's ongoing efforts to streamline Canada's grain handling system.
These problems do not go unnoticed. As a result the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on May 16 gathered a group together to examine many of the issues. The group was formed to look at short term grain movement, the problems of long term resolution and of recurring difficulties. It included labour unions representing the grain handling and transportation system.
The movement of grain is not done in isolation by any one collective workers group. That is why the team approach has to be taken. For further proof we need only to look at the records or the grain shipments to many terminals in this crop year.
We recognize that we have had labour problems in the past with grain handling. I believe the way to resolve the problems is not by providing arbitration to prevent strikes and lockouts. Rather labour must be productive and constructive and become a partner in developing an effective process for the movement of grain.
There is no doubt that it is a serious problem. We are prepared to respect the collective bargaining process to promote co-operation between the parties in a dispute either through mediation or conciliation.
My colleagues at human resources development have indicated that 90 per cent of collective agreements referred to conciliation are resolved without a work stoppage. In instances that result in negative impacts on entire sectors the government has demonstrated as recently as in the past week it is prepared to step in and break deadlocks. As such there is no need to introduce amendments to the Canada Labour Code. If we look at the experiences of countries in which compulsory arbitration is widely practised we see that strikes continue to occur.
Grain transportation is a very large and very complex industry involving numerous trades. For instance, 12 companies are operating terminal elevators, 14 companies are operating transfer elevators and 19 elevator companies are in the prairies. In addition we must add the two major railways that move our grain products by vessel to the Great Lakes and to our external ports.
Are we prepared to remove the collective bargaining rights of all these people? There is an enormous degree of complexity and we understand the concerns of all. To single out one group of men and women, the vast majority of whom have never had an industrial dispute through Parliament, strikes me as less than fair. Co-operation is the way to establishing partnerships fundamental to the economy and the well-being of society.
The adoption of Bill C-262 is not likely to produce results even close to what is desired. Rather I would suggest members support the efforts currently under way to reduce problems in our grain transportation system.
It is fundamental that changes have to take place in the western grain transportation system. These changes were recently introduced in the federal budget. They will create a less rigid and more responsive operating environment in which a faster, lower cost and more efficient system may evolve, the benefits of which will be shared by all.
Therefore, for all these reasons I do not feel I could support introduction of new legislation at this time.