Human Rights Day highlights poor record of Harper government

Just before the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights Prime Minister Stephen Harper chose to violate human rights by further attacking labour rights

Ottawa (4 December 2008) - As December 10th, International Human Rights Day, approaches the National Union of Public and General Employees is pointing out that the Harper government's threat to legislate contracts, including roll-backs of settlements already negotiated, and eliminate the right to strike for public sector workers serves to highlight the 'labour rights as human rights' crisis in Canada.

At a recent international symposium "Human Rights are Labour Rights", four of Canada's largest unions condemned Canada's refusal to ratify all of the International Labor Organization's (ILO) core labour standards conventions.

The presidents of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF), the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) and the Canadian Police Association (CPA) all called on the Harper government for leadership in protecting and expanding labour rights.

"Canada played an important role in drafting each of the ILO conventions and declarations. Yet, Canada has ratified only five of the eight ILO core conventions which form the basis of key international labour standards around the globe", explains NUPGE President James Clancy.

"This an international embarrassment. The rights endorsed so enthusiastically in international forums by Canada have never been fully realized."

The Harper government's threat to remove the right to strike of federal public sector workers or using legislation to impose a collective agreement reflects the federal govenment's lack of support for and understanding of labour rights as human rights.

Harper government asked to address labour rights crisis - ignores request

At the international symposium, leaders of the four unions signed the following statement:

Labour rights are human rights

We, the undersigned, urge the Canadian government to RESPECT international law and ratify these ILO conventions immediately:

Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

These two fundamental rights are enshrined in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS adopted by the United Nations in 1948. The Declaration was one of the UN's first major achievements, and remains a powerful instrument and symbol worldwide.

GOVERNMENTS ACROSS CANADA need to reaffirm that all workers have the right to join and form unions without interference by an employer or government and the right to bargain collectively as the means of determining their wages, working conditions and terms of employment.

On the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is time that Canada abide by international agreements.

To date the Harper government has responded by threatening further attacks on workers' rights.

Canada's international reputation at stake

The leaders of the four unions, representing more than half a million working people, point out that Canada's international reputation is tarnished by these attacks on labour rights.

"Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining two fundamental rights, are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948", said CTF President Emily Noble.

The Declaration was one of the UN's first major achievements and remains a powerful instrument and symbol worldwide. It is also the subject of the ILO's most important convention, No. 87, Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize -- ratified by Canada in 1972 with the unanimous consent of all provinces and territories. This is the Convention on which are based all ILO complaints by Canadian unions to restrictive labour laws.

While the Preamble of the Canada Labour Code makes reference to Convention No. 87, Canada's record, federally and provincially, is hardly exemplary. Public sector workers across Canada have seen their governments interfere in the collective bargaining process with heavy-handed legislation that disregard international law.

Ed Broadbent, the former federal New Democratic Party leader and a guest speaker at the symposium, pointed out that only "when all workers have the right to strike will freedom be complete in Canada."

NUPGE President James Clancy noted: "It’s an extremely sad commentary on this government that only days away from celebrating the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, it’s prepared to legislate away human rights. Labour rights are a critical component of human rights helping to protect and promote the social and economic well-being of the human population.”

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring that our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE