Province Announces Overtime Exemption Talks

Friday, May 05, 2006 at 15:30

 

 

Premier Lorne Calvert has announced a consultation process to examine impacts of the overtime exemption currently in place for northern Saskatchewan.

 

Regina MLA Ron Harper will lead the consultations, and gather input from various representatives of the North — including workers, community groups and business, First Nations and Metis leaders.

 

Northern mayors recently raised the issue at a Regina meeting with provincial cabinet ministers. They think the legislation allowing employers to not pay overtime to northern workers is discriminatory — especially since it doesn’t apply to northern communities where there happens to be a larger non-Aboriginal population.

 

Harper will work in conjunction with the departments of Labour, Northern Affairs and Industry and Resources.

 

Consultations will begin in the coming weeks.

 

A summary of the recommendations will be forwarded to government this fall.