Labour Relations

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

Harmonious labour-management relations are beneficial to both the economic security of individuals and the economic prosperity of Canada.

The Labour Program promotes cooperation and fairness and provides expert advice and assistance on labour relations matters to workplaces within the federal jurisdiction. To that intent, the Labour Program has developed numerous services, measures and initiatives to assist employers and employees in creating and maintaining a workplace that is conducive to good industrial relations.

• The Collective Bargaining process – describes the life cycle of an agreement and the processes used and the role and services available through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
• Dispute Prevention – ensures lines of communication remain open between employers and unions through training workshops on collective bargaining and joint conflict resolution, amongst other things.
• Arbitration Appointments – This section provides information on the types of situations where arbitrators may be appointed and what are their roles.

International and Intergovernmental Affairs

Internationally, the Labour Program's International Labour Affairs represents the country in international discussion of matters such as the elimination of forced labour and child labour, workplace health and safety, industrial relations and employment standards. The Labour Program negotiates and implements Labour Cooperation Agreements (LCAs) with Canada's free trade partners and represents Canadian interests in multilateral organizations dealing with labour issues, including the International Labour Organization.

There is also provincial and territorial involvement in the LCAs that Canada signs with its international trading partners. LCAs respect the provinces' and territories' jurisdictional responsibility in the area of labour, and two intergovernmental agreements have been developed outlining federal, provincial and territorial accountabilities in the implementation of these agreements.

Therefore, International and Intergovernmental Affairs:

• Represents Canada in international forums;
• Negotiates and implements innovative international labour agreements in the context of multilateral and bilateral trade initiatives;
• Supports Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives; and
• Participates in Provincial and Territorial Affairs