A new report from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions says Canada should do more for women, First-Nations people and unions.
A report on labour practices in Canada was recently released by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), based in Brussels. The news is not good.
According to the report, Canada:
•has anti-union legislation and activity that undermines the collective bargaining process;
•has ongoing workplace discrimination;
•fails to address the situation of Canada’s aboriginal people; and
•needs to speed up the ratification of several key conventions with respect to discrimination in the workforce.
The report coincides with a review of Canada’s trade policy by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It calls on the WTO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to require Canada to tackle its abuses of basic workers’ rights and respect the internationally recognized core labour standards to which Canada has agreed with both organizations.
Union rights
In the private sector, Canada’s respect for unions' rights is far from improving, the report says. Anti-union activities conducted by employers are not effectively controlled. Agricultural and domestic workers are subject to almost total exclusion from the right to collective bargaining.
Alberta was singled out for its violations of workers’ right to collective bargaining and The Calgary Herald was cited as an example in which the employer interfered in union activities.
In Ontario, the government made amendments to the provincial Labour Relations Act to severely restrict the exercise of trade union rights including education courses on how to decertify trade unions in a workplace, the report notes.
First-Nations people
The report urges swift action on behalf of Canada’s First-Nations people. The unemployment rate for First-Nations people is three times that of the rest of the workforce.
Women in the workplace
The report also cites discrimination of women in the workplace. Women comprise 44 per cent of the workforce but in 1997 earned only 80.5 per cent of men’s earnings. The Canadian Human Rights Commission found that more than 90 per cent of this earning gap could only be explained by systematic discrimination directed at women.
Quebec was praised for its efforts to tackle the issue of workplace discrimination. The province’s new law on equity in access to employment in the public sector was approved recently.
According to the report, Canada:
•has anti-union legislation and activity that undermines the collective bargaining process;
•has ongoing workplace discrimination;
•fails to address the situation of Canada’s aboriginal people; and
•needs to speed up the ratification of several key conventions with respect to discrimination in the workforce.
The report coincides with a review of Canada’s trade policy by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It calls on the WTO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to require Canada to tackle its abuses of basic workers’ rights and respect the internationally recognized core labour standards to which Canada has agreed with both organizations.
Union rights
In the private sector, Canada’s respect for unions' rights is far from improving, the report says. Anti-union activities conducted by employers are not effectively controlled. Agricultural and domestic workers are subject to almost total exclusion from the right to collective bargaining.
Alberta was singled out for its violations of workers’ right to collective bargaining and The Calgary Herald was cited as an example in which the employer interfered in union activities.
In Ontario, the government made amendments to the provincial Labour Relations Act to severely restrict the exercise of trade union rights including education courses on how to decertify trade unions in a workplace, the report notes.
First-Nations people
The report urges swift action on behalf of Canada’s First-Nations people. The unemployment rate for First-Nations people is three times that of the rest of the workforce.
Women in the workplace
The report also cites discrimination of women in the workplace. Women comprise 44 per cent of the workforce but in 1997 earned only 80.5 per cent of men’s earnings. The Canadian Human Rights Commission found that more than 90 per cent of this earning gap could only be explained by systematic discrimination directed at women.
Quebec was praised for its efforts to tackle the issue of workplace discrimination. The province’s new law on equity in access to employment in the public sector was approved recently.
