Federal Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, 2015 (Bill C-59)
The Economic Action Plan 2015 Act was the ombinus bill used to, among other things, implement certain provisions of the federal budget tabled in Parliament on April 21, 2015 and other measures. Sections 254 to 269 gave the federal government the power to override the Public Service Labour Relations Act and unilaterally amend the sick leave provisions of the collective agreements covering employees of the core federal public service.
Submitted by Public Service International and the Canadian Labour Congress on behalf of the 18 unions representing Canada’s federal public service employees.
The complaint was filed in September 2015. The ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association examined this case at its March 2017 meeting. It observed that the new federal government introduced Bill C-5, which will have the effect of repealing Sections 254 to 269 of Bill C-59 pertaining to sick leave provisions of the collective agreements covering federal public services employees.The committee noted that it "encourages the Government to continue working towards bringing the legislation into conformity with the principles of freedom of association and promotion of the full development and utilization of collective bargaining machinery in full consultation with the social partners concerned."