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"May Day is a time to reflect upon the struggles and victories of workers around the world. It is also a time to reflect upon the importance of solidarity, which is at the heart of our movement. Inequality and injustice erode solidarity. NUPGE is committed to greater income and wealth equality and to the vaccine and health care inequality which the pandemic has exposed." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (29 April 2022) — Worldwide, May 1 is International Workers' Day, also known as May Day. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) stands in solidarity with workers in Canada and around the world on this day and every day.
As the pandemic and the harm it has caused continues, the fight for justice and equality has only intensified. The fight for workers' rights and protections is relentless, just as the attacks on these rights and protections are relentless.
Pandemic impacts
This is the third May Day since the pandemic and we are only starting to understand how profound the impact has been. As the lockdowns ease, it is clear that not everyone was equally harmed or affected. Frontline and essential workers, especially the frontline essential workers we rely upon, bore the bulk of the harm.
It is more important than ever that workers know that they are supported. The long struggle for basic labour rights has provided workers in some countries great benefits, but that has not happened everywhere. This is why we must continue to organize and fight for benefits and workers' rights.
Even in Canada, the fight for permanent paid sick days for all workers continues to be waged and won. This is not needed just during a health crisis, but needs to be permanent benefit. Here and abroad, we must ensure that collective bargaining rights are respected and collective agreements are adhered to.
Fight for workers' rights continue
We must demand the right to form unions and to strike. We must redouble our fight for safe working conditions and the right to refuse unsafe work. Living wages, pensions and benefits should be there for all workers.
These are the ongoing struggles we commemorate on May Day.