Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia government's wage package, Bill 148, to be debated

The legislation put forward by the McNeil government on Monday afternoon that could impose a wage package on 75,000 public sector workers will be debated in an overnight session Tuesday.

Debate will start around 1:50 a.m.

Bill 148, or the Public Services Sustainability Act, will be debated at the Nova Scotia Legislature starting around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday. (Jean Laroche/CBC)

The legislation put forward by the McNeil government on Monday afternoon that could impose a wage package on 75,000 public sector workers will be debated in an overnight session Tuesday. 

Bill 148, or the Public Services Sustainability Act, would impose a two-year wage freeze, followed by annual raises of one per cent and 1.5 per cent, with a half per cent at the end of year four. 

The province will turn the bill into law, but is holding off bringing it into force so unions can continue to negotiate under the terms of the proposed legislation.

"We have concerns about this whole process. These guys [the Liberals] do not have a good track record in dealing with this," said opposition leader Jamie Baillie on Monday.

"I really am concerned it's going to end up costing taxpayers even more money in the end. And that's not fair."

The debate will start around 1:50 a.m. The CBC's Jean LaRoche will be tweeting from the debate.