Unionized workers marched on provincial government in Saskatoon on Thursday to protest proposed changes to Saskatchewan's labour laws.

About 200 union members, many from the province's largest union — the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which is holding its annual convention in the city — joined the demonstration to voice their opposition to the two new bills.

The controversial bills, introduced in December shortly after the Saskatchewan Party took office, include changes to rules governing essential services and union certification.

The essential-services law would force employers to meet with workers and agree — before a strike or lockout — on which workers are essential. If the two sides can't agree, the employer could submit its own list, and those workers would be legally obligated to keep working.

The new trade union law would amend the rules surrounding union certification. One change would allow employers to speak to employees and try to convince them not to certify. That's not permitted under the current law.

CUPE is opposed to the changes, viewing them as the first step in a government plan to privatize Crown corporations.

It says the government wants to cripple the unions and then use its newly-created economic agency, Enterprise Saskatchewan, as the vehicle to move ahead with privatization.

CUPE national president Paul Moist told delegates at the conference on Wednesday the government can expect opposition on both fronts.

"If we have to go on strike to get fairness for you, the members, that's what we'll do and we'll fight privatization whenever and wherever it crops up," he said.

Pointing to Manitoba, which privatized its phone company when the Conservatives were in power, Moist said there will be a cost to Saskatchewan consumers if its Crown corporations are sold to private interests.

"Today basic phone rates in Manitoba are quadruple what they are in Saskatchewan," he said.

"You are the last province in Canada, the last with a Crown corporation for telecommunications and telephone and internet services."

The national union is building up a $5-million war chest to fight privatization across the country.

Saskatchewan Labour Minister Rob Norris is scheduled to speak at the convention Friday.