Labour Rights Under Attack
224 Restrictive labour laws
In the past three decades Canadians have seen a serious erosion of a fundamental and universal human right, their right to organize into a union and engage in full and free collective bargaining. Federal and provincial governments have passed numerous labour laws since 1982 that have restricted, suspended or denied collective bargaining rights for Canadian workers.
Restrictive labour law directory
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89 ILO Complaints
Since 1982, Canada's record with respect to the number of complaints submitted to the International Labour Law’s (ILO) Freedom of Association Committee is one of the worst of all of the ILO’s 183 member States with unions in Canada filing more complaints than the national labour movements of any other country.
ILO complaint directory
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Latest News
This month in labour rights history
The Socred government of Bill Bennett introduced a sweeping package of legislative reform consisting of 26 regressive bills. Among them were the Public Service Labour Relations Amendment Act (Bill 2 more...
July 7, 1983
In Quotes
Canada's reputation as an international champion of human rights falls appallingly short when it comes to the question of workers' rights. While we are among the first nations to sign international labour conventions, too often we break them when they prove inconvenient at home. more...
Ed Broadbent, Former Member of Parliament, Past President, Rights and Democracy,
Take Action
Draft a resolution
Draft and sponsor a resolution to your Federation of Labour or Labour Council condemning the use of labour laws that restrict or deny the fundamental rights of workers and proposing that progressive labour law reform be a central focus of labour’s political agenda.
Sign the Workers’ Bill of Rights
Since 2006, thousands, including all Federal Leaders of the Opposition, have signed a pledge to uphold workers rights.