The Ontario government is to freeze the minimum wage at CAN$14 (US$10.65) for another two years by introducing a sweeping new Bill that scraps many of the labour reforms brought in by the previous Liberal administration.
The legislation, called the ‘Making Ontario Open for Business Act’, is designed to fulfil one of premier Doug Ford's central campaign promises. It will repeal the bulk of the Kathleen Wynne government's Bill 148, which gave all workers in Ontario a minimum of two paid sick days and required employers to pay part-time and casual staff at the same rate as full-time workers.
The move will also lead to the removal of 10 personal emergency leave days, replacing them with up to three days for personal illness, two for bereavement and three for family responsibilities - all of which will be unpaid. The Bill likewise eliminates pay equity for part-time and casual workers.
Economic development minister Jim Wilson told CBC: "We need to create an environment where businesses can grow and create good jobs. We have a real problem in Ontario with the high cost, delays and lost business associated with burdensome regulations."
Unsurprisingly, trade unions were unhappy with the situation. Chris Buckley, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, said during a news conference: "We've known for a long time that Doug Ford is no friend of workers, and with today's announcement he's proven exactly that. In fact, he's proven he's an enemy of workers."
The Bill repeals changes to the Labour Relations Act, which made it easier for workers from various sectors to join a union. It also made changes to how skilled trades are governed in the province in order to address a system backlog. This includes scrapping the Ontario College of Trades, which manages apprenticeships in the region. The aim is to replace it with a new model for regulating skilled trades and apprenticeships by early 2019.
According to the Globe and Mail, after the reforms were announced, Ontario Labour Minister Laurie Scott’s constituency office was broken into and vandalised. The words 'Attack Workers We Fight Back $15' were reportedly spray-painted on a wall outside.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
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The Ontario government is to freeze the minimum wage at CAN$14 (US$10.65) for another two years by introducing a sweeping new Bill that scraps many of the labour reforms brought in by the previous Liberal administration.
The legislation, called the ‘Making Ontario Open for Business Act’, is designed to fulfil one of premier Doug Ford's central campaign promises. It will repeal the bulk of the Kathleen Wynne government's Bill 148, which gave all workers in Ontario a minimum of two paid sick days and required employers to pay part-time and casual staff at the same rate as full-time workers.
The move will also lead to the removal of 10 personal emergency leave days, replacing them with up to three days for personal illness, two for bereavement and three for family responsibilities - all of which will be unpaid. The Bill likewise eliminates pay equity for part-time and casual workers.
Economic development minister Jim Wilson told CBC: "We need to create an environment where businesses can grow and create good jobs. We have a real problem in Ontario with the high cost, delays and lost business associated with burdensome regulations."
Unsurprisingly, trade unions were unhappy with the situation. Chris Buckley, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, said during a news conference: "We've known for a long time that Doug Ford is no friend of workers, and with today's announcement he's proven exactly that. In fact, he's proven he's an enemy of workers."
The Bill repeals changes to the Labour Relations Act, which made it easier for workers from various sectors to join a union. It also made changes to how skilled trades are governed in the province in order to address a system backlog. This includes scrapping the Ontario College of Trades, which manages apprenticeships in the region. The aim is to replace it with a new model for regulating skilled trades and apprenticeships by early 2019.
According to the Globe and Mail, after the reforms were announced, Ontario Labour Minister Laurie Scott’s constituency office was broken into and vandalised. The words 'Attack Workers We Fight Back $15' were reportedly spray-painted on a wall outside.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
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New tax and minimum wage policies introduced across Canada
