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Lay offs of Employment Standards Officers will weaken the enforcement of labour rights for part-time marginalized workers in the province.
Toronto (22 Oct. 2012) - Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) members, in Locals 546 and 585, confronted Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey at her constituency office in Brampton to demand she reinstate 19 Employment Standards Officers her ministry laid off on September 20.
The members told the Minister that the lay offs will weaken the enforcement of labour rights for part-time marginalized workers in the province.
OPSEU/NUPGE members handed out more than 100 leaflets to members of the public attending the barbecue at Jeffrey’s office on October 14.
A group of Ministry of Labour activists spoke to Minister Jeffrey and her senior aide for about 45 minutes. They told her that the lay offs of the 19 Employment Standards Officers will result in less protection for workers facing predatory employers who fail to meet minimum standards of wages, hours of work, paid holidays and other rights under the Employment Standards Act.
The layoffs of the 19 members on September 20 came only three days after Minister Jeffrey trumpeted in a press release that she was hiring an additional 18 Employment Standards officers, prompting the union to point out she “gives with one hand, and takes with the other.”
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE