N.S. advocacy groups, opposition calling for more workers’ rights protections - BERITAJA

Opposition parties successful Nova Scotia and immoderate defense organizations are calling for the state to do much to protect workers’ rights and amended labour conditions.

They brought their concerns guardant Tuesday during a gathering of the Standing Committee connected Human Resources successful Province House.

NDP labour professional Paul Wozney said authorities is missing the people erstwhile it comes to providing workers the wages and support needed to thrive.

“Interestingly, we’ve heard the premier beryllium a champion — if it’s bully capable for different places it’s bully capable for Nova Scotia — and yet, we spot protections for workers successful places elsewhere successful Canada not being afforded to Nova Scotian workers,” said Wozney.

According to the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, the state ranks arsenic 1 of the lowest successful the state erstwhile it comes to worker protections and wages.

Melissa Marsman noted that the spread betwixt the projected surviving costs successful the state and the existent minimum costs has continued to turn since 2018.

“I’m not going to beryllium present and (say) a minimum costs summation intends nothing, but they intelligibly request to support gait pinch the costs of living, which is not happening,” said Marsman.

She added that Nova Scotia is 1 of the past provinces to person overtime salary footwear successful aft 48 hours successful a azygous activity week. In comparison, New Brunswick’s period is 44 hours and Newfoundland and Labrador’s period is 40 hours.

Marsman warns the precocious period successful Nova Scotia will only origin further problems arsenic the costs of surviving increases.

“We person workers who are moving these overtime shifts because they don’t make capable money successful this province,” she said. “So they’re going to return those shifts (and are going to) pain out. That’s going to put a strain connected our health-care strategy wherever there’s already a strain.”

Wozney said the state should so look astatine lowering the hours.

“If we lowered the period for overtime from 48 to 40 hours, that would mean an other $500 a period for about Nova Scotian workers,” said Wozney.

The authorities of migrant workers was besides brought up astatine the meeting.

Stacey Gomez pinch the Center for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia addressed the committee, saying the state should fortify workers protections by removing cultivation exemptions for overtime and vacation pay, arsenic good arsenic present paid sick days.

“In our study, 77 per cent of migrant workers feared that they would beryllium fired for simply taking clip disconnected to reside wellness needs,” she said.

The group is besides calling for MSI sum connected presence for migrant workers to guarantee equitable entree to health-cares services.

Ryan Grant, lawman curate pinch the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, told the committee the state has made improvements — peculiarly done protecting 5 unpaid sick days for workers and expanding workers’ compensation.

As well, Grant pointed retired the state has protected leaves for miscarriages and friendly partner violence.

“There person been a number of initiatives and efforts arsenic of precocious to look astatine a number of different areas for worker protection to beforehand and past strengthen,” he said.