Labour Day 2025: Protect the rights of staff

Labour Day isn’t only a vacation – it’s a name to motion. A rallying cry to remind staff in all places that the rights we frequently take as a right weren’t handed out on a silver platter. They had been hard-fought victories by staff uniting, refusing to again down.

Workers have all the time been the driving drive behind milestone achievements – maternity go away, pensions, paid sick days, truthful wages, EI – we have now the labour motion to thank for these. From parental go away and well being and security protections to pensions, paid sick days, truthful wages and Employment Insurance – in the event you or anybody you like has ever relied on any of those, you’ll be able to thank the labour motion. And then get able to defend it – as a result of the combat is way from over.

These victories not solely enhance wages and dealing situations – they’re life-changing. These positive factors safe a greater future for on a regular basis individuals together with ladies, gender-diverse individuals, individuals with disabilities, Indigenous individuals, racialized individuals and so many extra.

PSAC members have been instrumental in securing these victories. It’s our collective energy that retains us robust. But our combat is way from over. When the Carney authorities made the misguided choice to invoke Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code within the Air Canada flight attendants’ strike, they made it blatantly clear that they’re keen to trample on the basic proper of staff to cut price freely and take strike motion in a labour dispute.

As staff and activists, that’s a line that can not be crossed.

Protect the rights of staff

Let’s be clear: the one path to lasting, truthful collective agreements is thru the bargaining desk. It’s unattainable to have truthful negotiations when employers can rely on authorities interference to allow them to off the hook. 

And this wasn’t the primary time they’ve used this provision towards staff – this was the identical mandate used to order hanging postal staff again on the job final yr.

The approach CUPE flight attendants fiercely refused to adjust to the federal government’s order needs to be a rallying cry for staff in each sector in all places in Canada.

As staff, we won’t again down when our basic rights are beneath assault – by employers and governments alike. Their combat ought to sound the demise knell for Section 107 in Canada’s labour regulation. It strips staff of their leverage on the bargaining desk. It bails out employers who by no means supposed to deal with staff pretty. And it tells each employee on this nation: “You don’t really have power. Not when we say so.”

Abolish Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code

That’s why PSAC is looking on all federal events to work collectively to place ahead laws abolishing Section 107 from the Canada Labour Code when Parliament returns September 15 as the primary order of enterprise.

We should combat collectively, throughout the labour motion, to ship a transparent message to this authorities and employers throughout the nation that we’ll not sit again when our rights are threatened.

In solidarity, 

Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President