Still Working on the Edge: Building Decent Work from the Ground Up

TORONTO, March 31, 2015 /CNW/ - The Workers' Action Centre is releasing its report, Still Working on the Edge: Building Decent Jobs from the Ground Up today. This report exposes a deteriorating floor of labour standards that is contributing to low wage and precarious work. Powerful stories from workers interviewed for the report demonstrate how exemptions and gaps in the Employment Standards Act are giving rise to low wages, insecure work and the erosion of minimum standards.

The Report shows that 41% of workers are part-time, temporary or self-employed and 33% have low wages. "When the floor of minimum standards breaks down, the resulting regulatory gaps destabilize the labour market," says Justin Kong, a member of the Workers' Action Centre. "This harms workers and their families – and it also harms those employers who are playing by the rules."

The Ontario government launched the Changing Workplace Review on February 17, 2015 to identify potential labour and employment law reforms. The report, Still Working on the Edge, brings workers' experience, knowledge and voice to provide comprehensive recommendations for developing a new legislative framework that supports decency in Ontario workplaces.

Members of the Workers Action Centre will be available to comment on the Report after 1:00 pm on Tuesday, March 31.

SOURCE Workers Action Centre

or to schedule an interview: Pam Frache at 416-578-3472 (cell); To obtain a copy of the report visit: www.WorkersActionCentre.org