OTTAWA – Canada’s unions welcomed today’s Speech from the Throne, a speech that highlighted the advancement of many policies the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has been championing for years.
“From increasing health coverage, to tackling climate change, to improving working conditions, this new minority government has set benchmarks for success,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. “Pharmacare has been an issue the CLC has been heavily advocating for over the last few years. Nobody should have to choose between paying for groceries and paying for medication they need—Canada is ready for universal pharmacare.”
In another move towards fairness, the throne speech announced the government’s intent to establish a federal minimum wage as a standard across Canada. This announcement comes as welcomed news to Canada’s unions and workers across Canada struggling at low-wage jobs.
“Not only will a federal minimum wage benefit tens of thousands of Canadians directly, it will put pressure on the provinces to follow suit,” added Yussuff. “Lifting people out of poverty, an increased minimum wage will have an important impact on the Canadian economy.”
Canada’s unions are also looking to the federal government to lead the way on finding the right balance between protecting jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s commitments on climate change begin to transition Canada towards a more sustainable future.
“We need bold targets to fight climate change, we owe that to our children,” said Yussuff. “We also owe the next generation good jobs and commitments to minimize the impact on workers. Today’s commitments move us towards a greener economy.”
Creating protections for workers facing domestic violence has been a focus for the CLC over the past few years, working internationally to end gender-based violence.
“Building a national action plan on ending violence against women will go a long way,” added Yussuff.
Over the coming months, Canada’s unions will work with this minority government to ensure today’s commitments become a reality. The CLC is looking forward to getting to work building universal pharmacare and ensuring this government is building a fairer Canada for everyone.
For more information and to set up an interview, please contact:
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426
