It's time for all working Canadians to reassert their power

The CLC's 50th anniversary Labour Day message

Ottawa (31 August 2006) - It's time for working Canadians to reassert their power as citizens and demand that governments put their interests ahead of those of global corporations, says the three-million-member Canadian Labour Congress.

CLC president Ken Georgetti says the government of Canada should adopt a national jobs strategy and confront the steady drain of employment away from Canada to low-wage countries in the modern global economy.

"Outsourcing all the jobs might make sense for today’s global corporations, but it’s no way to run a country," Georgetti argues in the congress' 50th anniversary Labour Day message.

He adds:

"Working people need access to quality, universal, affordable child care and early learning for our kids. We need public health care to be strengthened, so it’s there when we need it, and expanded to help us manage the cost of drugs and home care. We need real pay equity for women.

"More pressing than ever, we need governments to wake up and ensure continuous opportunities for training for all workers. We need our politicians to listen to the real owners of this country, the majority of whom work for wages," he argues.

"Canada also needs fairness and balance in collective bargaining. It’s time to change our laws and put an end to scab labour. It’s time for people to let our politicians know that they must make it illegal to hire scabs. If you’ve never contacted your Member of Parliament before, this is the time to do it. Tell them to support anti-scab legislation and tell them to do it this fall.

"Working people need to reassert the power they have as citizens – as voters who actually represent the majority. Making working people’s issues vote-determining and who will champion them the real ballot-box question, would improve politics in our country for the better." NUPGE

More information:
Labour Day Message from the Canadian Labour Congress