Bank of Canada ordered for second time not to use replacement workers during strike

The Bank of Canada has been ordered for the second time this month to stop using the services of contract workers while its security officers are on strike.

In a decision issued Wednesday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board said the Bank of Canada contravened the Canada Labour Code by using contractors from Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations during the strike.

Earlier this month, the board released a similar decision saying the central bank had contravened the code by using contractors from Garda Canada Security Corporation and the services of union members.

The Bank of Canada said in an emailed statement last week that it had complied fully with the board’s ruling and it would not comment on its security posture.

Security officers at the Bank of Canada went on strike in June after talks failed to secure a new collective agreement between the central bank and the union.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Public Service Alliance of Canada called on the Bank of Canada to abide by the ruling, stop using replacement workers and return to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair deal.

By Catherine Morrison