Changes will see a return to a more traditional collective bargaining model whereby the right to strike and lockout will be reinstated.
Amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act were passed in the House of Assembly. Currently, pricing for fish species is set through either a negotiated agreement between the parties or through a binding arbitration process provided by the Standing Fish Price Setting Panel (known as “the Panel”). This process has been in effect since 2006. Changes will see a return to a more traditional collective bargaining model whereby the right to strike and lockout will be reinstated. Both parties will be required to engage in collective bargaining and the conciliation process. Government will proclaim the legislation in early 2025 subject to the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) and Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) agreeing to the new collective bargaining model. If amendments are not proclaimed to begin by April 2025, the existing price-setting structure will remain in place for this season.