BC Ministry of Labour Releases Discussion Paper of Review of Labour Relations Code

The BC Ministry of Labour has released a discussion paper regarding its review of the Labour Relations Code. The paper indicates the areas in which the provincial government is considering amendments to the Code. These include:
• expansion of the management exclusion;
• giving greater recognition to the rights of employees;
• providing for decertification after two year closure;
• removing obstacles to partial decertification by employees;
• giving employers the right to speak to employees about certification;
• preventing succession for dispositions in bankruptcy;
• providing for appointment of a special mediator to mediate
and adjudicate essential services
• giving the courts jurisdiction over all appeals from arbitration awards;
• reducing the scope of the Labour Relations Board’s reconsideration powers;
• limiting the expedited arbitration process;
• requiring strike votes to be government supervised;
• privatization of mediation (fee for service).
It is significant that the strike replacement provisions of the Code are not included.