Canada - what are worker's rights there?

[Blackburn]

I'm seriously thinking of moving permanently from Australia to Canada, especially if the right wing party wins the next federal election.

Are worker's rights protected in Canada? What's the situation like?

[JoeySteel]

Well, the right wing party already won the federal election here. Don't take that as a reason to move or not move... I would imagine workers' rights in terms of strength of labour law on the side of workers to be not much different or somewhat poorer than Australia. Labour law is heavily balanced against workers and anything union-related has to go through debilitating formality and everything is mediated through the state or the company, which don't like the workers. It's not like in many countries where workers can simply join a union, etc etc. It takes years of organizing and difficult periods of repression and votes and things like that. And at the end the boss collects the union dues and passes them on so in many of the (few) low-pay jobs with unions they offer next to no advantage as the will basically follow the company.

Other than that, there is the 8 hour day, 40 or 43 hour work week depending on province, probably similar standards to Australia. Really though, don't move based on a right wing government winning. This happens all the time in capitalist countries and what you will find is it's not that different from a "left wing" government, not that different to live under, and we have to overthrow it either way.

[HarperHater]

In terms of looking towards the future, worker's rights are going to take an interesting shift. The Conservative party gives major tax cuts to wealthy MBA and multi billion dollar corporations. While unemployment won't be too big an issue (depending on what province you're in) we live in a capitalist society where worker's rights are just an illusion.

Like the above poster said, you shouldn't leave your home just because of a right wing party winning. You must resist, disobey, and be active in bringing down the establishment instead of just moving when things go wrong.

I hope you find what you're looking for comrade, and good luck to you in your future!

[Blackburn]

Put it this, way... a former Prime Minister quit his own party because it was too right wing.

It's the equivalent of Reagan quitting the Republican party.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/baillieu-tells-of-sadness-after-fraser-quits-liberal-party-20100526-wbes.html


Mr Fraser resigned in December, soon after Malcolm Turnbull was dumped as federal opposition leader over his support for emissions trading, The Australian Financial Review reported today.
He allegedly told friends Mr Turnbull's replacement, Tony Abbott, was "all over the place" on policy and Mr Fraser disliked the racist overtones adopted by the party in the debate on immigration.
Mr Fraser, the prime minister from 1975 to 1983, confirmed his decision to quit yesterday, saying the party was no longer a liberal party but a conservative party.
Although he failed to elaborate, he has recently been critical of the Coalition in the media, particularly over its stance on the Israeli fake passports affair.
He has previously criticised the Liberal party for becoming one of "fear and reaction" and says it is now unrecognisable as the party he joined more than 50 years ago.


I know you guys seem to be dismissing me in what I say, but when the former poster boy leaves his own party because they are too right wing, things have gone too far.

[HarperHater]

While that sounds pretty bad, in the end you're just running from one right-wing capitalist country to another.

[danyboy27]

worker laws in canada, or at least in Quebec, are not that bad, if 51% of your departement or your factory decide to join a union you cant be fired, and the boss is forced to take it.

we got some pretty decent laws concerning worker and workplace security, if your boss is doing something that might endanger you, you have the right not to work until the problem is fixed.

Quebec have (for now) a decent welfare system, or at least compared to north america.

we also have a national healthcare system, its not that bad but if you compare it to what is avaliable in europe its shit tho, but then again its better than what happen in north america.

there is also (for now) a plethora of subsidies if you want to create a small buisness or a cooperative.

then again my experience is limited to quebec, a province with a with a 40% of unionisation.

[thefinalmarch]

Don't move. You are needed here.

[miltonwasfried...man]

Quebec is the only real left leaning province in Canada unfortunately, the rest of Canadians are not unionized nearly as much. But worker's rights here are give or take the same as in the U.S or Austrialia, so not great. Recently our conservative government forced our postal workers back to work even though they had the legal right to protest and fight for higher wages. Most Canadians are fuck face conservatives, so nobody cared.