OTTAWA – Canada’s unions welcome the expansion of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which will come as a relief to the millions of Canadians who can’t yet return to work.
“This is very good news for the millions of Canadians who still don’t have a job they can go back to and were growing concerned about paying their bills,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff. “The extension will allow families to continue paying their rent or mortgage and buying groceries.”
The CERB was originally scheduled to end within the next few weeks, leaving many Canadians who lost work due to COVID-19 without work or income support. The new extension to the end of August will allow these workers some peace of mind while waiting for the economy to further re-open.
“We look forward to hearing more details about this extension, as we continue with a safe and steady recovery,” said Yussuff. “We will continue checking in with workers across the country who want to be working but can’t yet. We will continue to advocate on their behalf at the federal level to ensure support stays in place as long as necessary.”
Many businesses are closing or evolving because of the COVID-19 crisis, meaning a lot still hangs in the balance in terms of rebuilding the economy and increasing employment levels. Canada’s unions will continue to be a voice for all workers as we survey the new landscape and pave the way forward.
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