SFL Echoes Laliberte’s Stand On Overtime Exemption
Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 14:29
The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour agrees with former MP Rick Laliberte that the province has to change an overtime exemption in the North.
The law permits employers to withhold overtime pay to workers earning an hourly wage in most northern centres.
Federation president Larry Hubich says his group has been writing letters to the province on this subject for at least 10 years.
He’s disappointed a government official recently said dropping the exemption wasn’t a high priority for the government because the issue wasn’t generating very much feedback.
Hubich says that shouldn’t be necessary when it comes to workers’ rights.
He also notes some northerners have voiced concerns that because it doesn’t apply in La Ronge, Creighton and Uranium City, the law appears to discriminate against Aboriginal northerners.
Laliberte is circulating a petition calling on the government to abandon the northern overtime exemption.