"This oppressive legislation is the worst I have ever witnessed in my career as a labour leader and politician," said Mr. Grimes. "This is the first time in the history of this province that the legislature has been used to strip the existing contracts of public sector workers. It is shameful that the Premier would actually move forward with such a tactic against the people he continuously states he values. Is this a sign of a government who appreciates its workforce?"

This afternoon in the House of Assembly, the Official Opposition suggested that the Premier amend the legislation to include the most recent offer put forward to the unions in an attempt to make this legislation less distasteful. The Premier and Minister of Finance would not entertain this option.

"It is unfortunate that this Premier is more focused on punishing our public sector workers than reaching an acceptable agreement. His heavy-handed approach to collective bargaining will do nothing to foster positive labour relations in the province. The only thing this legislation will accomplish is to ensure that morale in our public sector reaches an all time low, our workers feel disrespected, productivity suffers and a somber mood resonates throughout government. How does the Premier feel this will help strengthen the public sector of our province?

"Today is indeed a sad day for our public sector workers. I hope the Premier realizes that this approach was a mistake before entering into negotiations with other public sector unions later this year. Otherwise, I fear we will witness another major labour upheaval in the coming months."