NDP calls on province to strengthen labour laws amidst Ubisoft closure

CITYnews halifax / By Rachel Morgan

The NDP is calling on the Houston government to strengthen Nova Scotia’s labour laws following the abrupt closure of Ubisoft Halifax, which left 71 employees without work.

Ubisoft made the decision to close its Halifax operations mere days after 61 of the company’s 71 employees unionized.

“Seventy-one Nova Scotians lost their jobs shortly after exercising their right to unionize and the Houston government has been silent,” Labour Critic Paul Wozney said in a press release “Workers deserve better than our weak labour laws and a government that hands over public money to a company that treats their workers this way. Public investment must come with clear expectations that workers’ rights will be respected, and it’s long past time to modernize our labour laws so people aren’t punished for organizing.”

Nova Scotia sits directly in the middle of provincial minimum wage across the country with a minimum hourly rate of $16.50. But critics say this rate doesn’t match the rapidly increasing cost of living.

A regular work week in Nova Scotia is also 48 hours and has the lowest number of statutory holidays, according to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Related:

• Union files labour board complaint on behalf of Ubisoft Halifax workers
• Ubisoft closing Halifax studio days after workers voted to unionize
• Workers at Ubisoft Halifax form company’s first North American union

“As the Minister of Labour, your silence in the face of 71 skilled workers losing their livelihoods is a terrible precedent to set in a province that has some of the weakest labour laws in the country,” Wozney said in a letter to Labour Minister Nolan Young. “Nova Scotian workers here already face low wages, a high cost of living, and few protections in the workplace. Now, they’re watching as your government shrugs about mass layoffs by a company that has taken millions of their hard-earned dollars.”

To date, the PC government has not addressed the closure of Ubisoft Halifax.

Under the Labour Standards Code, Ubisoft had a duty to give the Department of Labour at least eight weeks’ notice before closing its Halifax operation.

In a statement to CityNews, the company said it gave written notice to the department on Jan. 7.

“We are focused on supporting the affected workers, who are highly skilled and bring valuable experience to Nova Scotia’s workforce,” it said. “Employment Nova Scotia staff have reached out directly to ensure impacted employees are aware of the free services available through Nova Scotia Works, which operates more than 50 locations across the province and online. These services include job search support, career counselling, training information and connections to employers.”

Workers respond

On Jan. 13, CWA Canada, the union representing the Ubisoft workers, filed a formal complaint with the Nova Scotia Labour Board.

CWA said its lawyers contacted Ubisoft the week prior, demanding records that would back its claim that finances led to the closure, and that it wasn’t to avert the formation of the company’s first North American unionized studio.

“It’s against the law to stop workers from joining a union in Canada, but the slap on the wrist employers often get is not enough to stop this,” CWA Canada President Carmel Smyth said in a statement. “The penalty should reflect the reality of intentional corporate bullying.”

The France-based Ubisoft is one of the world’s most successful game-developing companies. It employs 17,000 people globally, including over 4,000 in Toronto, Winnipeg and four cities in Quebec.

– With files from Steve Gow