Following article gives us very clear picture of very well planned exploitation of Canadian work force. And still this country claim that rights of their work force are well protected, isn’t it funny???

Please read the following article…

Thanks and regards.
Biomed
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Job laws lagging behind new reality

More and more Canadians are facing a new reality: There is no such thing any more as a steady job. Contract, temporary and part-time work, as well as self-employment, are replacing stable jobs that once were the rule. Nearly 40 per cent of workers do not hold permanent, full-time jobs.

But labour laws and government benefits have failed to keep pace. Many are based on the assumption that a worker is employed by a single, long-term employer, rather than by a succession of employers - or none at all.

As globalization, outsourcing and technology change the way we work, Ottawa and provincial governments must ensure labour policies cover new employment relationships so fewer workers fall through the cracks.

The labour market has become particularly precarious for workers with few skills and little experience. An increasing number, many of them young people and recent immigrants, is becoming trapped in a permanent cycle of low wages, no benefits and little job security. Employers are shifting the costs and risks of doing business on to vulnerable workers who can ill afford to carry them.

The consequences can be devastating. "You don't go to work, you don't get paid," a Toronto parent told the authors of Falling Fortunes: A Report On The Status Of Young Families In Toronto, released last month. "You don't have a choice. You just don't eat that week."

Like the Toronto parent, many workers in non-standard jobs have no paid time off, no extended health insurance and must pay out of pocket for dental care, eyeglasses and prescription drugs. Many suffer fluctuations in income and constant uncertainty about whether they will be able to make ends meet. They are excluded from training and advancement opportunities that could lead to more secure jobs. They also have little recourse if they have a dispute with a company they work for.

Inevitably, some workers will be left behind, even in a prosperous economy such as Canada's. It is one of the regrettable costs of capitalism.

Obviously, not all workers in non-standard jobs suffer. Those whose skills are in demand often thrive on the variety and freedom. But too many people are falling into precarious jobs, often permanently, and government policies and laws fail to catch them.

For example, Ottawa runs the employment insurance program that supports workers who have lost their jobs and also provides parental leave and other benefits. But people working part-time or in erratic temporary positions often cannot accumulate the hours needed to qualify. Self-employed people are not even eligible. And as employers increasingly classify low-wage workers as contractors or self-employed, rather than as employees, many vulnerable workers are being cut off from benefits.

Temporary workers hired by staffing agencies to work for other companies can find themselves in a particular quagmire. How can their rights under employment standards and occupational health and safety laws be assured when the company they work for is not their legal employer?

The Falling Fortunes report calls for a summit on "good jobs" that will assemble leaders in government, business, labour and the voluntary sector. It is an admirable exercise in consciousness-raising that likely will lead to nothing because labour is not within the city's jurisdiction.

It therefore falls to the provinces and Ottawa to ensure their policies and programs reflect the new reality of working in Canada.

As a start, laws must be rewritten to capture new employment dealings that defy traditional definitions of boss and worker, such as subcontracting and temporary work. Businesses must not be able to avoid responsibility for wages, health and safety and employment standards simply because they have put another company between them and workers.

At the same time, Ottawa should loosen eligibility requirements for employment insurance and consider allowing self-employed people to pay into the program so more workers can collect these important benefits. The fund is swimming in a surplus and can easily afford to cover more people. Ottawa also should crack down on employers who are misclassifying their relationship with workers to avoid paying in.

Canadian businesses also must consider the long-term consequences of treating workers as disposable. Too many working people are struggling to survive and society is poorer for it.

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"Change before you have to" : Jack Welch

As I mentioned in the other thread, cos Just dont want to hire perm jobs anymore. They will go the Temp way and do away with any kind of social responsibility (Nedical, vacation, sick benefetis ect...). It is as the article says "No Work, No Pay".

they even are not paying for the Civic Holiday yesterday in my case. As per them its a "civic" not a "Statutory" holiday.

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I once made a mistake, but I was wrong about it.