June 17 2026
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) strongly rejects a new Senate committee report that recommended limiting workers’ right to strike.
On June 11, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications released a report that suggested the government adopt new rules to reduce work stoppages in the rail and maritime sectors.
Among the report’s recommendations is a proposal to create a new tribunal that, if it deemed a strike or lockout to “adversely affect the national interest”, could implement mediation or arbitration. If that process fails, binding arbitration could be ordered to prohibit the strike or lockout. The committee also recommended broadening the definition of essential services.
“What the Senate committee is proposing would severely restrict workers’ right to strike,” said Bert Blundon, President of NUPGE. “Undermining workers’ Charter-protected rights won’t resolve workplace issues or prevent supply chain issues. Instead of trying to pit workers against the public, the government should work to address the underlying issues in the transportation sectors and supply chains.”
The report was based on the committee’s study on labour disruptions in the rail and marine sectors. In a submission to the study, the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union (BCFMWU), an affiliate of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU/NUPGE), emphasized the importance of protecting workers’ rights:
“Protecting the right to strike protects public services. When workers have meaningful leverage, safety issues get fixed, staffing and training gaps are addressed and problems don’t fester into crises. We believe, and the Supreme Court has said, that the right to strike is essential for workers to bargain fairly and effectively.”
BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union
“Protecting the right to strike protects public services. When workers have meaningful leverage, safety issues get fixed, staffing and training gaps are addressed and problems don’t fester into crises. We believe, and the Supreme Court has said, that the right to strike is essential for workers to bargain fairly and effectively.”
The Senate report is the latest in a disturbing trend from the federal government aiming to curb the right to strike, whether through attempting to order striking workers back to work or the current Canada Labour Code review. And it stands in stark contrast to the recent International Court of Justice ruling that affirmed workers’ right to strike is protected under international law.
“The Senate and the federal government broadly, must remember that the right to strike is constitutionally protected in Canada and backed by international law,” said Blundon. “And it is a right that workers and unions will fight to protect.”