’DISCOUNT’ EQUITY VIOLATES EQUALITY RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS

JOHANNE DROLET, PARTENER
MELANÇON, MARCEAU, GRENIER & SCIORTINO

Summary

The Quebec Superior Court rendered a decision last January 9 which confirms the right to pay equity and equality before and under the law for some 500 000 workers in this province. This judgement by justice Julien declared null and void Chapter IX of the Pay Equity Act since its provisions violated section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This chapter of the Pay Equity Act had permitted employers, one of which being the provincial government, to obtain the Pay Equity Commission’s assent to be exempt from respecting pay equity provisions applicable to all other employers. Thedecision is of great importance for two reasons. The first is its direct effect on the right to pay equity and equality before the law for workers whose employers had benefited from Chapter IX. The second is the analysis which is made of the application of section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Reference: Syndicat de la fonction publique c. Procureur général du Québec et Commission de l’équité salariale et Conseil du trésor et al., D.T.E. 2004T-197.
Also:J. Drolet and P. Grenier, ’L’Équité salariale ’à rabais’ viole le droit à l’égalité garanti par la Charte des droits et libertés’ , Développements récents en droit du travail (2004), pp. 251-280.