NDP Calls on Liberals to Stop Exploitation of Unpaid Interns

OTTAWA - Today, NDP Jobs, Employment and Workforce Development Critic Niki Ashton (Churchill-Keewatinook Aski) wrote to Minister Mihychuk calling on her to drop efforts to implement Conservative measures that would leave interns open to abuse. Ashton is instead asking the government to adopt NDP proposals to provide real protections to interns.

"The government’s proposal contains dangerous loopholes that would allow continued abuse of unpaid internships," said Ashton. “The Minister should drop the Conservative plan and instead work with us to bring in real protections for interns.”

In the previous Parliament, the Liberal caucus voted for the NDP’s Intern Protection Act which would have extended the same workplace protections that cover all paid employees to unpaid interns. It would also set clear rules to prevent the abuse of unpaid internships to displace paid workers and deprive young people of the wages they deserve.

"The Liberals shouldn’t back away from their previous support of firm rules to end the abuse of unpaid internships,” said Ashton. “Young Canadians facing precarious work and exploitation are counting on us to do better.”