Labour Day is as relevant now as it ever was, says union
Posted September 4, 2017 12:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Today may just be another day off for you, but one union representative is taking the time to talk about just what Labour Day means to those it celebrates.
The BC Federation of Labour‘s Irene Lanzinger says it’s important to recognize that our economy simply would not work without workers. “But also talk about the things that we still need to do for workers. And I think that’s an important thing to remind ourselves of.”
Lanzinger points out the economy simply wouldn’t function without workers. “It’s a day to think about the fact that good jobs with good wages, benefits, and pension — they benefit workers, but they also benefit our economy and our province.”
She says workers in BC still deal with problems like increased part-time or temporary work, instability, and low minimum wage.
“We have 25 per cent of workers in this province working for less than $15/hr. So, low wage work is a real issue. And we’ve been working hard on that issue, trying to get a $15 minimum wage.”
But, Lanzinger adds progress has been made.
“Eight-hour day, a five-day work week for most people, better health and safety standards than we did 50 or 100 years ago,” she lists.
Despite more jobs being replaced by technology, Lanzinger says there will always be work that needs to be done, and good jobs will always be required.
