By Canadian Press

Court rules Manitoba’s public-sector wage-freeze bill violates Charter

Jun 11, 2020 | 2:48 PM

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba court has struck down key parts of a provincial government bill aimed at freezing the wages of public-sector workers.

Queen’s Bench Justice Joan McKelvey says the bill is draconian and an infringement of the right to collective bargaining under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Progressive Conservative government introduced the bill shortly after winning the 2016 election on a promise to control spending.

The bill, which was never proclaimed into law, included a two-year wage freeze for each new collective agreement, followed by pay increases of 0.75 per cent and one per cent over the next two years.

Unions that represent some 110,000 public-sector workers took the government to court, saying the bill was already affecting negotiations and was an infringement of their rights.

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In a written decision, Justice McKelvey says sections of the bill, including the wage limits, are invalid.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2020.

The Canadian Press