The BC NDP government’s efforts thus far in ensuring the wider world knows the province is still open for business have been uneven at best.
On one hand, NDP initiatives that will increase business costs in the province say, no, it’s not; on the other, its pitch to keep the flame flickering on B.C.’s liquefied natural gas export dream shows that it appreciates the need to do more than wring revenue from business to support government spending programs.
Results of the current review of B.C.’s labour code will be another indicator of the government’s ability to attract enterprise and investment to B.C.
Any return to an adversarial labour relations climate that stalls economic growth and productivity in prolonged strikes and workplace confrontations will further erode B.C.’s ability to compete for the talent and finances that are fundamental to its economic development.
The NDP’s aim to eliminate secret ballot voting during union certification drives is a major concern for business.
It would remove a key hurdle in unionizing workplaces, but eliminating a secret ballot vote from that process would also shift the balance of labour relations power in favour of organized labour.
That would not be good for a province that has enjoyed relative private-sector labour peace for the past decade.
There’s no question that a labour code review is needed. The last one was 15 years ago. Since then, automation, artificial intelligence and other technological disruptions have radically redrawn the workplace landscape. Labour codes in this province and elsewhere in North America need to reflect that reality and provide balanced protection for both sides in the human resources equation.
But B.C. can’t afford to sacrifice the democratic principles that help keep employer or co-worker intimidation from being a factor in such major decisions as unionizing a company’s workforce. That would really tell enterprise here and abroad that B.C. is not serious about being open for business as usual.
