“Strong labour relations are essential to the success of Canadian workers, businesses and our economy,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, in the government’s announcement. “This legislation will protect the right to strike while reinforcing the responsibility of unions and employers to negotiate in good faith, helping ensure workers and employers can continue to navigate challenges together.”
The bill also revisits section 107 of the CLC — a contentious provision that allows the federal government to intervene in active bargaining disputes. Hajdu had signalled ahead of the fall session that Ottawa had no intention of eliminating the right to strike, but conceded that “better tools are needed” in cases where negotiations collapse entirely.
More inspectors and enforcement capacity
Beyond collective bargaining, the bill commits to significantly bolstering enforcement. The legislation would add 100 new health and safety officers, which ESDC projects would increase federal inspection capacity by approximately 70 per cent. A further 26 new staff would be hired at the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to address a growing backlog of worker complaints against employers.
The package also includes additional inspectors specifically tasked with cracking down on worker misclassification the practice of incorrectly designating employees as independent contractors to avoid obligations under the CLC. This area has been flagged as a growing compliance risk across federally regulated industries, which include banking, airlines, railways, and broadcasting.
Taken together, these operational commitments represent a meaningful resource investment in the federal labour regime, which currently covers approximately 22,000 employers, according to ESDC.