Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Andrew Swan today introduced the Labour Mobility Act, which would improve labour mobility within Canada and help to address skill shortages in many regions of the country by creating opportunities for freer movement of certified workers.
Manitoba’s Labour Mobility Act would allow certified workers from other jurisdictions to practise their occupations in Manitoba in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). A person qualified and certified to practise an occupation in any Canadian jurisdiction would be recognized and able to practise their occupation in any other Canadian jurisdiction unless a province requires a specific exception from this rule in order to ensure achievement of a legitimate objective such as protecting health and safety.
“The introduction of this bill sends a strong message to all Canadians that Manitoba is committed to ensuring full labour mobility across Canada under the provisions of the AIT,” said Swan.
“Maintaining Manitoba’s highly skilled experienced workforce is crucial to the international success of our industries. We stand to benefit from reinforcing our commitments to full labour mobility as it will make it easier for a person certified as qualified to practise an occupation elsewhere in Canada to come to Manitoba to work.”
The new efforts under the Agreement on Internal Trade to ensure full labour mobility within Canada will offer qualified workers more transparent registration and licensure requirements and provide better access to employment opportunities.
Each province will continue to be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the requirements that are in place through provincial legislation for regulated occupations.
The text of the recently amended Chapter 7 of the AIT is available on the Manitoba government’s web site at www.gov.mb.ca/ctt/pdfs/lab_mob.pdf.
