Report vindicates Colombian unions in their struggle for basic workers’ rights
February 2, 2017
For years, Colombian unions have been sounding the alarm about workers’ and human rights abuses in their country. Now, a new report vindicates long-standing grievances about the violation of Colombian unions’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. The report was released by the National Administrative Office (NAO), in response to a joint submission from the Canadian Labour Congress and five…
Canada’s unions say NAFTA renegotiation is an opportunity for more fairness
January 26, 2017
Canada’s unions are glad to hear that Canada is ready to walk away from NAFTA, saying that renegotiating the deal offers the opportunity take a new approach to trade that puts the interests of working people and the environment first. In a statement sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland today, the Canadian Labour Congress points out that over the…
Canada’s unions release migrant worker video to mark Human Rights Day
December 9, 2016
To mark Human Rights Day, Canada’s unions released a new video to raise awareness of the human rights issues faced by migrant workers in our country. The video tells the story of an agricultural worker who must leave her home and family behind to work long hours in isolated and dangerous conditions – a situation faced by many migrants entering…
Government must stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
June 15, 2016
On Thursday, Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff and Senior Economist Angella MacEwen spoke to the House of Commons Committee on International Trade to outline serious concerns with the Conservative-negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Below is Hassan Yussuff’s statement to the committee. To learn more and add your voice to stop the TPP, visit stoptpp.ca. Presentation by the Canadian Labour Congress…
Canadian unions stand against worker rights abuses in Colombia
May 16, 2016
Before it was signed in 2008, unions in both countries raised serious concerns about the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCOFTA). At the time, the Canadian government argued the agreement would help improve Colombia’s labour and human rights record. However, monitoring has made it increasingly clear that the Colombian government is not living up to its obligations to protect fundamental workers’…
European and Canadian unions call for changes to CETA
May 4, 2016
The Canadian Labour Congress and the European Trade Union Confederation are uniting to call for five changes to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). “By adopting the changes we propose, Canada and European countries have an opportunity to make the promise of a ‘gold standard’ trade agreement a reality,” said CLC president Hassan Yussuff. Europeans have had some…
This week the federal government plans to sign on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), after which Canada will be locked into a two-year countdown to ratify the deal, despite the controversy surrounding it. Last week, Canadian Labour Congress President, Hassan Yussuff, and several other Canadian union leaders met with Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland to express serious concerns about the deal.…
Labour leaders meet with Ministers Freeland and Mihychuk on Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal
December 9, 2015
Canadian labour leaders met with Chrystia Freeland, Minister of International Trade; her Parliamentary Secretary, David Lametti; and MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour this morning to kick off consultations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. “We are very encouraged that the ministers have reached out to us to start what we know will be an ongoing discussion about whether this…
Canadian unions say TPP needs thorough public debate
November 24, 2015
The statement below was adopted by the Canadian Council of the CLC at its meeting on November 9. On October 5th, the governments of twelve countries of the Pacific region announced that they had reached a historic trade agreement. Unfortunately for Canadians, there was little to cheer about. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement was negotiated behind closed doors, with no input…
Bad Medicine: Canadians will pay more for drugs and lose privacy under TPP
October 15, 2015
Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Canadians will pay more for pharmaceuticals and see the privacy of their health information compromised. The TPP locks in high drug prices by increasing copyright protection and allowing corporations to sue governments for lost profits. Worse, the deal prevents governments from being able to store citizens’ health information in their own country. Patent protection: The…