Sask. Labour minister Don Morgan revamps controversial 'essential services' law

Saskatchewan's Labour minister has introduced legislation to amend the government's controversial "essential services" law. 

It's something Don Morgan was required to do after the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional earlier this year.

Today, the government introduced a number of changes to the legislation, including removing a definition of "essential services" and instead, letting the two sides in a labour dispute work that out.

It also provides a clear process to get a deal if the two sides can not agree, which Morgan says was important to labour leaders.

"Which I thought was of some significant importance to them because if we were taking away their right to strike, we had to have an alternative in place," Morgan said at a news conference with reporters.

Morgan says he and the president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour brought people together to come up with the changes cooperatively. 

The opposition NDP says that's what should have happened in the first place — before the government wasted years in court and a lot of money.

SFL President Larry Hubich called the changes "a substantial improvement". 

"It is my hope this new bill will set things on a good course while respecting the collective bargaining rights of working people who provide essential services," Hubich said.

He added, "with or without an essential services law, it is important to remember that in the rare instance of a public sector work stoppage unions have always protected the public."