Mr. Speaker, I too rise today to speak on Bill C-24, the Postal Services Continuation Act and to express my support for the legislation which provides for the resumption of postal service and sets up a procedure for the settlement of issues which resulted in the disruption of postal service.
I must indicate that I am less than enthusiastic in my support because back to work legislation always signals a failure in the collective bargaining process, a process that I believe to be a pillar of our democracy and an instrument for economic and social progress.
Specifically the bill establishes a duration of a new collective agreement for Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, that is three years. It also includes wage increases for CUPW members of 5.15% over that three year period. The other key issues in dispute, namely job security, part time work and the length of the letter carriers' routes will be settled by a process known as mediation-arbitration.
In this dispute resolution method the mediator is equipped with the power to settle unresolved issues by binding arbitration in the event that they are not settled by mediation. As specified in this legislation, the mediator-arbitrator's report along with terms and conditions established by this bill will form the basis of the new collective agreement.
The federal government had no choice but to act legislatively to restore regular postal service to Canadians. The economic costs to Canadians of a prolonged work stoppage would have been immense. Thousands of Canadian business firms and their employees depend on the postal service. A lengthy disruption in postal service would threaten the economic viability of those enterprises and thus place the jobs of those employees in serious jeopardy.
Numerous Canadian charities rely on the mail service for support and donations at this time of the year. Many of them receive most of their income during this Christmas season.
Many Canadians count on the post office during this time of year as well to communicate greetings and good wishes to family and friends. Despite the increased use of the Internet and e-mail, and despite the availability of efficient courier services, most Canadians still depend on the post office to send messages and parcels.
With respect to those who receive government assistance, while contingency plans have been put into place for the delivery and distribution of pension and welfare cheques, there is still the chance of non-delivery or delays which would cause undo hardship on recipients.
Finally, there is the cost to the parties themselves of a lengthy work interruption. Canada Post has been losing millions of dollars a day and the workers have been losing huge amounts in wages. It is in no one's interest to see Canada Post Corporation brought to its knees.
In short, the public interest requires that the federal government bring forward this legislation. The public interest requires that the federal government end the economic hardship and uncertainty caused by this work stoppage. The alternative, to let the work stoppage drag on indefinitely, was no alternative at all.
Having said that, and having argued the point for the general good that Bill C-24 is necessary, I would also express my great disappointment that the two parties were not able to come to an agreement on their own. As I stated at the outset of my remarks, back to work legislation always means a breakdown in the collective bargaining process.
Collective bargaining is one of the great processes that we have established to help us resolve workplace disagreements in an orderly, democratic and peaceful way. History and empirical research have shown that collective bargaining has been an effective tool for the promotion of both economic development and for social justice. It is also a form of self-government which encourages the parties to devise their own responses to the issues which divide them. For all of these reasons, collective bargaining is very important in this process.
I do not believe that I am alone in thinking this way. I am sure that most Canadians prefer to see negotiated settlements to labour-management disputes. I am certain too that both Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers would prefer to devise their own solutions in these issues.
I would have liked to have seen more flexibility given to this process including in the wage area. Further negotiation in this area by the two parties would have been desirable as opposed to the imposed wage settlement.
There are some in the trade union movement and some in the New Democratic Party who would strongly criticize the government for bringing in this back to work legislation. I can genuinely understand their position, but I would ask them at what point was the government supposed to act.
Was it when Canada Post reached the point of no return financially? Was it when thousands of Canadian businesses went under and jobs were lost? Was it when Christmas had come and gone and Canadians were unable to communicate with their friends and family? Or was it when numerous Canadian charities had to start to lay off staff and were unable to meet the needs of the very people they serve?
As an objective observer would no doubt conclude, the parties had ample time to reach an agreement. They also had ready access to the very able professionals in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help them in their efforts, but they obviously could not come to an agreement on their own thereby making the intervention of the government virtually inevitable.
I note that the Reform Party, the party that always espouses less government, has been screaming for government intervention for some time. Apparently, according to the Reform Party thinkers, less government is always a preferred policy approach except when Canadian workers are exercising their legal rights. Then it would seem that more state intervention becomes more apparent and more acceptable to them.
In my view, both the official opposition and the New Democratic Party have failed to take into account all of the complexities of the issue. They have failed to see that all the stakeholders have legitimate rights and concerns and that some kind of balance must be found. That is what effective governing is all about. It is about taking everybody's legitimate concerns seriously. The government has done that and therefore I recommend passage of this bill.