NDP STATEMENT ON LABOUR DAY

Sheri Benson, MP for Saskatoon West and NDP Labour Critic made the following statement on Labour Day:

“On this Labour Day, New Democrats honour the tremendous accomplishments that hard-working Canadians have achieved. Across Canada, workplaces are safer, more equitable, and provide fair wages because workers have risen in solidarity with their unions time and time again.

“While we give our sincere gratitude to the brave organizers who fought and won maternity leave, health coverage, retirement security, and regulated work weeks, we must recommit to the many challenges ahead.

“Today in Canada, women in the workplace are still earning less than their male counterparts, young Canadians are being forced into precarious work, and too many Canadians are earning less than a living wage. Let us be inspired by those workers who’ve come before us as we seek full pay equity, secure employment for the next generation, and ensure that all Canadians make a decent living, starting with the re-instatement of a $15 federal minimum wage.

“This Labour Day, let us be thankful for the sacrifices made by all those who joined the fight to improve our workplaces and our country. Let us not forget that future generations are counting on us to sustain this movement and continue the fight to advance our labour rights.

In solidarity.”

– 30 –