Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 01/05) - A federal labour standards committee will criss-cross the country this fall, stopping in each province and territory except Nunavut and NWT.

The Federal Labour Standards Review Commission will hold public hearings in 14 cities to discuss ways to improve workplaces under Part III of the Canada Labour Code. It will focus on issues including hours of work, sexual harassment, minimum wage, unjust dismissals and annual vacation.

"I am not sure why Yellowknife or Iqaluit were not included on the list of stops," said Caroline Laverdiere, project officer with the secretariat to assist the commission. "But it could be because it is easier to meet in bigger cities."

Also, there are more groups - such as chambers of commerce, women's organizations and aboriginal groups - in places like Whitehorse that are organized and made themselves known to the commission, she said.

An official with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) isn't so sure about that, and said the commission should be doing more to ensure Northern views are included.

"The commission should be polling people in all three Northern capitals - as a minimum," said Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, regional executive vice-president of PSAC. As part of his own job, Des Lauriers spends time in all three territories.

One of the largest industries in the territories affected by any changes to the Labour Code would be banking. Des Lauriers estimates there are approximately 500 people working in the sector in all three territories.

While the number of workers affected by any changes is relatively low in Nunavut and NWT, all employees and employers should take an interest in the review, he said.

"As a union we are interested because these changes to the code set the bottom line for any collective agreements we sign with employers," he said. "Anything we agree on can't be lower than these minimum standards."

Even though the commission plans to bypass Iqaluit, businesses in the region still expect to have their voices heard. The Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce will submit comment on any proposed changes to labour standards, said the group's president Bob Long.

The chamber represents approximately 100 members in the Baffin region.

"We are obliged to comment - whether we agree or disagree - because we are always looking for changes to be fair and balanced for everyone," he said. "More members would be able to have a say if meetings were held here as they are in other capital cities."

The chamber's submission to the commission will include its dissatisfaction at being left off the list for public hearings, he said.The commission will submit a final report of the review and recommendations to the Minister of Labour and Housing by January 2006.

This will be the third overhaul of the regulations in the past six years. Parts I - Industrial Relations - and II - Occupational Health and Safety - of the Canada Labour Code were revised in 1999 and 2000 respectively.