Human rights wither when workers' rights are not enforced

'We need to continue our labour rights are human rights campaign.' - James Clancy

Toronto (20 Nov. 2007) – “Labour rights are a critical component of human rights, helping to protect and promote the social and economic well-being of the human population.”

This was a key message delivered by James Clancy, president of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), when he spoke at a recent Toronto conference entitled, Workers’ Rights, Human Rights: Making the Connection.

Clancy noted that during the past quarter century or more, a time of increasing awareness of other human rights, the protection and promotion of labour rights in Canada has been in decline.

“Since 1982, our governments have passed 175 pieces of legislation that have restricted, suspended or denied collective bargaining rights for Canadian workers. This has created a ‘human rights deficit’ in this country,” he said.

"Governments cannot pick and choose among human rights. It is the role of a democratic government in a civil society to defend all human rights. Human rights cannot flourish where labour rights are not enforced,” he argued.

Clancy made specific reference to the June 2007 Supreme Court of Canada decision recognizing collective bargaining as a constitutional right of all Canadian workers.

“We have had some success in building a political and legal environment in Canada that recognizes labour rights as fundamental human right," he noted.

“The Supreme Court decision offered very positive and powerful language recognizing the legitimacy of labour rights as human rights in Canada. But we can’t just simply rely on the benefits of a court to make us a stronger, larger labour movement. We need to continue our labour rights are human rights campaign and ensure that progressive labour law reform remains a central focus of our political agenda," he said.

“Working people still need to take action to ensure that their rights are exercised and enforced. Rights not exercised will wither and disappear.”

Clancy recommended a seven-point common agenda for strengthening workers’ rights:

• Make fair labour laws a central part of labour’s political agenda;
• Promote NUPGE's Workers’ Bill of Rights;
• Insist that all governments in Canada give effect to international human rights norms, which they have made a commitment to comply with;
• Keep a closer eye on the developments at the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the positions the Canadian government takes;
• In the public sector, challenge unjust laws that governments pass to enforce its ‘last offer’ by way of legislated contracts;
• Develop a national strategy on how to use the judicial system to advance workers’ rights here in Canada; and,
• Work in a coordinated way to ensure only the strongest challenges to unconstitutional labour law go forward through our judicial system.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the Centre for Research on Work and Society (CRWS), a research unit associated with
York University.

It provided a forum for the labour and human rights communities to explore labour rights as fundamental human rights. The conference was attended by some 150 union
activists and academics in the field of labour law and human rights. NUPGE

More information:

Supreme Court says labour rights are human rights