Worker Rights
At the Migrant Action Centre, we believe that all workers, regardless of their immigration status, deserve fair and just treatment in the workplace. As a migrant justice movement, we recognize the importance of collective power and solidarity in building a society that values the dignity and well-being of all individuals.
We call for better worker rights and protections for all workers, regardless of their immigration status. This includes the right to a safe and healthy workplace, freedom from discrimination and harassment, fair and equal pay, and protection against exploitation and abuse. We believe that workers should have the right to organize and collectively bargain for better working conditions and wages, and that employers should be held accountable for any violations of worker rights.
Furthermore, we call for a living wage for all workers, which is a wage that is sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, including food, housing, and healthcare. We believe that a living wage is a fundamental human right, and that all workers should be paid a wage that allows them to live with dignity and security.
We recognize that many migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in the workplace, and we are committed to organizing and supporting migrant workers in their struggle for fair and just treatment. We also recognize the interconnectedness of different struggles for social justice, and we stand in solidarity with other movements working towards a more just and equitable society.
The Migrant Action Centre proposes the following policy recommendations to ensure better worker rights and protections, and a living wage for all workers:
Stronger Labor Laws: The Canadian government should strengthen labor laws to ensure that all workers, including migrant workers, are protected from exploitation and abuse in the workplace. This includes better enforcement mechanisms, stiffer penalties for employers who violate labor laws, and stronger protection for workers who speak out against workplace abuses.
Migrant Worker Protection: The Canadian government should implement stronger protections for migrant workers, including the right to unionize and collectively bargain, and access to permanent residency status. Migrant workers should be allowed to change employers without losing their immigration status, and they should have access to the same workplace protections as Canadian workers.
Living Wage: The Canadian government should implement policies that guarantee a living wage for all workers. This includes setting a minimum wage that is sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, and adjusting the minimum wage annually to keep up with inflation.
Support for Unions: The Canadian government should provide support for unions, including funding for organizing efforts and legal support for workers who are facing retaliation for union activities. This would help to ensure that workers have the power and resources they need to negotiate fair wages and working conditions.
Workplace Safety: The Canadian government should strengthen workplace safety regulations, including those related to COVID-19, to ensure that workers are protected from health and safety hazards on the job. Employers should be required to provide personal protective equipment, implement physical distancing measures, and provide paid sick leave to workers who are unable to work due to illness or exposure to the virus.
Fair Hiring Practices: The Canadian government should implement fair hiring practices to prevent discrimination in the workplace. This includes banning discriminatory interview questions, requiring employers to disclose the pay scale for a job, and promoting diversity in hiring.
The Migrant Action Centre also recognizes that migrant workers are a particularly vulnerable population in the Canadian workforce, facing systemic discrimination and exploitation. As such, we propose the addition of migrants as a protected class under Canadian human rights legislation.
By adding migrants as a protected class, the Canadian government would recognize the unique challenges faced by migrant workers and provide them with greater legal protections. This would include protection from discrimination on the basis of immigration status, and would require employers to provide migrant workers with the same workplace protections as Canadian workers.
Adding migrants as a protected class would also make it easier for migrant workers to access legal remedies when their rights are violated, including access to the human rights complaint process, and access to the courts to seek damages for workplace abuses.
Finally, we strongly believe that all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, should be granted full and equal rights and protections under Canadian law. No human being is illegal, and no one should be denied basic human rights and dignity because of their immigration status.
As such, we call on the Canadian government to grant full status to all individuals currently living in Canada without status, and to implement policies that ensure a fair and humane pathway to status for all migrants. Only by recognizing and valuing the contributions of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, can we build a society that is truly just and equitable.
The Migrant Action Centre is committed to working towards a future where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, and where migrant workers are able to fully exercise their rights as workers and as human beings. We call on all Canadians to join us in this struggle for justice and solidarity.
