Protecting the rights at jobs

When Labor Minister of the province, Joe Fonseca, introduced legislation in December last year in order to strengthen the rights of temporary agency workers, waitress of banquet hall, Andrea Galindo, was cheering the move at Queen’s Park.

The 21-year old immigrant from Mexico said she felt as if her rights were being protected.

Almost 700,000 temporary jobs are there in Ontario which are mostly occupied by new Canadians or women who haven’t been given basic employment rights due to the antiquated Employment Standards Act of the province.

According to Fonseca’s bill, which is now a low since May, temporary workers will get the right to public holiday pay and termination and severance pay similar to those of permanent employees. At also prohibits the practice of charging fees to workers by agencies.

For every banquet she worked, Galindo was charged $10, and the introduction of the bill came as a huge relief for her and other members of the Workers’ Action Centre as this was what they were trying to achieve since years.

The lively centre situated in Spadina Avenue at Bloor St. W. has always been an integral part of the campaign to stop corrupt employers from taking undue advantage of the growing number of temporary workers in the province. The coordinator of the centre, Deena Ladd, said that the campaign couldn’t have been possible without the support of the Atkinson Charitable Foundation.

More than $3.1 million was spent by the foundation in 2008 on charitable activities and it supported over thirty groups.