Legislation to Protect Health and Safety Introduced

HEALTH/PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION--Legislation to Protect Health and Safety Introduced

Legislation introduced in the House of Assembly today is designed to protect the health and safety of Nova Scotians by preventing a strike by nurses and health care workers.

"Our district health authorities cannot guarantee the health and safety of Nova Scotians in the face of a strike," Health Minister Jamie Muir said. "The clock is ticking, and the ticking is getting louder and louder in our hospitals. We must act now -- responsibly and decisively -- before services to Nova Scotians are seriously compromised."

The legislation encourages the collective bargaining process to continue, enabling the parties to reach negotiated agreements. If agreements cannot be reached, cabinet will have final authority to define packages that are fair to nurses and health care workers, while affordable to taxpayers.

On Wednesday, a tentative agreement was reached with nearly 3,000 health care workers in the Capital Health District.

Mr. Muir said this is very encouraging, but there are no current tentative agreements with the nurses’ unions. "The employers will continue to work toward reaching agreements,” he said. “At the same time, the province must act to remove the threat of any strike that could put lives at risk."

Hospitals are already starting to close beds and reduce services, including elective surgeries, blood collection, outpatient and mental health services. The Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre has stopped accepting patients, and will close if a strike occurs.

The legislation affects nurses and health care workers at all Nova Scotia hospitals. While strikes and lockouts are not permitted, the legislation protects the right of the unions and employers to continue collective bargaining at the table.

If negotiation, conciliation or mediation do not lead to an agreement, the legislation enables government to establish provisions of the collective agreements. These provisions could not extend beyond March 31, 2004.

"We want agreements reached at the table, like we have seen for almost 15,000 public-sector employees," Public Service Commission Minister Ron Russell said, "but these agreements cannot come at any cost. While we want to provide a fair increase, much more than what’s on the table now would mean much less for something else, in our hospitals or elsewhere."

To date, employers’ offers to nurses and other health care workers total approximately $53 million over the proposed three-year life of the contracts. For 2001-02, the increase in payroll costs -- along with the additional $69 million already in the health care budget -- would bring government’s total health care increase to $86 million in this year alone.

For nurses, the wage increase would make them the highest paid in Atlantic Canada. The province has also provided funding for a variety of nursing programs to provide better training, educational bursaries and professional development.

The province has been in negotiation with nurses and health care workers for more than six months.

kjd Thursday, June 14, 2001 2:34 P.M.