The Conservative government is open to changing its back-to-work legislation, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said Thursday as MPs stared down the possibility of an all-night debate on sending Canada Post employees back to work and ending a lockout."If they have real amendments, they should present them to us and we'll take a look at them … we're open to take amendments. You have to consider them. That's part of debate," said Raitt.
NDP Leader Jack Layton suggested in question period the government remove a controversial section of the bill that would give the union a lower salary than the one proposed by management in the last round of talks. The NDP plans to move an amendment to the bill Thursday evening to take out the salary portion.
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the offer is fair.
"The wage rates set in the bill are only fair. They reflect what we've negotiated with federal public servants," Harper said. "The role of the Canadian government is to act in the higher interest of the Canadian population and the Canadian economy, not in the interests of those that are around the table."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canada Post has no reason to negotiate when the government is offering a lower salary than the corporation's management.
"The prime minister has rendered collective bargaining pointless in this country… Why bother to bargain?" he said. "It's a terrible precedent."
Harper shot back, accusing the NDP of taking the union's side.
"The government, unlike the NDP, is not beholden to one of the parties at the table. The government represents the wider interests of the Canadian economy," he said.
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Source: CBC news
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