PAGE Ontario 30-31 Protection of Employees as Voters-Advance Polls-Time to Vote....... 30 Protection of Employees on Public Utilities-Accidents on Public Utilities.... 34 34 Saskatchewan 35-37 Garnishment of Wages 35 35 Advance Polls for Employees-Early Closing of Shops Sunday Street Cars... Vocational Education Inspection and Regulation of Steam Boilers...... Employment of Women in Restaurants, Laundries, etc... Minimum Wages Mechanics' Liens Industrial Disputes--Investigation and Conciliation.... Alberta Mothers' Pensions Superannuation of Members of Workmen's Compensation Board.... Inspection and Regulation of Factories...... Industrial Disputes-Investigation and Conciliation... School Teachers-Arbitration of Disputes with School Boards... GENERAL SUMMARY This Report, which contains the text of the laws affecting labour enacted by the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures during the year 1926, is the sixth annual supplement to Labour Legislation in Canada as existing on December 31st, 1920, published by the Department of Labour. The index covers the contents of the basic volume and the six supplements. During the year the Parliament of Canada, the legislatures of all the provinces and the Council of the Yukon held sessions. In British Columbia, however, the session extended into 1927 and the laws enacted will appear in the Report for that year. In four provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, legislation was passed to make available the Dominion Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, 1907, in the settlement of disputes which are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the province. Alberta passed a law based on the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, omitting the sections prohibiting a strike or lock-out prior to reference to a board and providing for a provincial board of conciliation. The new Alberta Factories Act makes the minimum wage for women in establishments covered by the Act the minimum wage for men also. This Act fixes a nine-hour day and a fifty-four hour week allowing, however, certain exceptions. It also makes provision for a commission of three members to investigate the question of the forty-eight hour week. Two provinces, Quebec and Prince Edward Island, passed workmen's compensation laws during the year. The Quebec Statute which will not come into effect until April 1st, 1928, provides increased benefits and much simplified procedure. The Prince Edward Island Act applies to railway employees only. New Brunswick was added to the number of provinces which have committed the interests of labour to the charge of a Minister, the Department of Health being enlarged to include labour. A new body, the Corporation of Technical or Vocational Schools, was created by an Act of the Quebec Legislature to administer technical education in that Province. League of Nations-International Labour Organization The ratification by Canada of four draft conventions of the International Labour Conference affecting seamen was noted in Labour Legislation in Canada 1925. The ratification was duly registered by the Secretary General of the League of Nations on March 31st, 1926. The Recommendation concerning the development of facilities for the utilization of workers' spare time which was adopted at the Sixth Session of the Conference in 1924 was brought before the Parliament of Canada during the Session of 1926 together with an Order in Council (P.C. 220) dealing with the extent to which the subject matters of the Recommendation fall within the competence of Parliament or of the provincial legislatures. The House of Commons on March 15th, 1926, considered a resolution "that in the opinion of this House a wage sufficient to provide for a reasonable standard of living should constitute a legal minimum wage." The subject matter of the resolution was referred to the Committee on Industrial and International Relations which in its final report to the House of Commons on June 16th, recommended that a conference of provincial and Dominion representatives intimately in touch with labour conditions throughout Canada be held in the near future to consult as to the best means to be employed of giving effect to the labour provisions of the Treaties of Peace. Unemployment Relief An Order in Council (P.C. 315) setting forth the policy of the Government of Canada in regard to unemployment relief was issued on March 2nd, 1926. The order in Council states that although the relief of unemployment is primmarily a municipal and provincial responsibility, the Federal Government, in cases where the local authorities are unable to cope with the distress, will contribute one third of the disbursements made on account of unemployment relief on condition that the province concerned contributes on an equal basis. Requests for assistance must be made by the municipality through the provincial authorities. A provincial government which finds it necessary to administer relief in unorganized districts will be reimbursed to the extent of one-half of the money expended. These provisions are to be interpreted to cover only expenses incurred in providing food clothing and shelter and, in certain instances, medical attendance. It is further provided that the Federal Government will participate in the cost of work provided by municipalities to relieve unemployment. These measures were in effect from January 1st to March 31st, 1926. Labour Departments and Bureaus The Legislature of New Brunswick amended (Chapter 13), the Act Respecting the Executive Council to change the title of the Minister of Health to Minister of Health and Labour. Industrial Disputes It will be remembered that in January, 1925, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council declared the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act to be ultra vires of the Parliament of Canada and that the Act was then amended making it applicable to disputes within the exclusive jurisdiction of any province which by legislation of that province are made subject to its provisions. In December, 1925, the Legislature of British Columbia passed a law to make the Act apply to that Province. In 1926, Nova Scotia (Chapter 5), New Brunswick (Chapter 17), Manitoba (Chapter 21), and Saskatchewan (Chapter 58) enacted laws making the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act apply to those Provinces. The Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Acts, like that passed in British Columbia the previous year, contain a section authorizing the LieutenantGovernor in Council by Proclamation to apply to provincial disputes the provisions of any future amendment to the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act passed by the Parliament of the Dominion. The Manitoba Act does not contain a similar clause. The Labour Disputes Act (Chapter 53) enacted by the Legislature of Alberta is based on the Dominion Industrial Disputes Investigation Act. There are, however, no provisions similar to those of the Dominion Statute which prohibit a strike or lockout pending a reference to a Board. The Act applies to all industries in the Province employing ten or more persons. |