Employment and labour

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The idea that people should be paid equally for work of equal value is not exactly new. It has been recognized internationally since the 1970s by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations, and more recently in pay equity legislation enacted in many Canadian provinces.
Balancing child care and employment has become a growing challenge for households. Families are increasingly dependent upon two incomes. In 2003, more than 75 per cent of two-parent households relied on dual incomes. The challenge for single parents is even more daunting as they seek to balance nurturing, homework and paid work.
Imagine if one day our police forces were cut in half, street patrols were eliminated, police stations closed, and people were told to send a lengthy form to police headquarters to report a crime. Doesn’t sound like such a great idea? Unfortunately, it’s pretty much what the BC government has done when it comes to making sure employment standards laws are enforced in this province.
This new book focuses on the efforts and progress of union revialization and organizing, and documents the renewal initiatives undertaken by unions in Canada. Unions, separately or in coalition with other unions or social groups, have begun to re-examine the basis of their organization and activity in the face of a harsher economic and political climate.
In a rare unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recently confirmed the constitutionality of the federal government's provision of parental benefits under Employment Insurance (EI). The federal government now has no excuse not to do a better job of ensuring that this essential social program is meaningful for all employed women and men.
Inside this special edition on labour and employment: The Erosion of Employment Standards Who's Up, Who's Down: Labour and Capital in BC Paying our Public Servants: The New Bargaining Mandate Children in the World of Work
(Vancouver) Numbers obtained from the BC Ministry of Labour show that sweeping changes to the employment standards system have dramatically undermined the province’s ability to enforce minimum protections for workers.