‘Hard-fought victory’: New federal anti-scab law goes into effect today

New legislation has gone into effect today that will change how federally-regulated companies handle strikes and lockouts.

From June 20 onward, federally-regulated employers – including banks, transportation, postal and telecom companies – will be restricted from using replacement workers if their employees go on strike.

The new legislation, called Bill C-58, was passed by the House of Commons on May 27.

Employers who violate the law by hiring replacement workers – otherwise known as scabs – could face fines up to $100,000.

“This is a historic and hard-fought victory for workers’ rights in Canada,” Lana Payne, Unifor National President said in a statement.

“No employer in this country should be able to undermine negotiations with scab labour. With this new law coming into force, the right to free and fair collective bargaining is stronger today than it was before.”

The majority of Canadian workers are governed by provincial labour laws. Unifor is calling on all provinces to follow the federal government’s lead.

Anti-scab laws currently exist in Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba.

READ MORE: Canada Post and its second largest union reach an agreement