Ottawa – July 19, 2021 – With the Liberals determined to have an election while many are still suffering economically and health-wise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP have released a detailed jobs plan to get Canadians back to work with the supports they need.
While ordinary Canadians have lost jobs, the Trudeau government is clawing back or ending federal programs that are meant to help workers, families, and communities survive the pandemic. Meanwhile, some of the countries largest corporations have reaped record profits, with CEOs receiving massive bonuses.
Life was getting more difficult for many people even before the pandemic. Good jobs with decent wages and basic benefits were becoming harder to find. While Liberals and Conservatives continue to focus on the needs of big corporations that have been profiteering during the pandemic, the NDP's plan focuses on the needs of workers and ordinary Canadians.
The NDP plan would provide supports to workers with ten paid sick days in federally regulated industries. The NDP plan would also get to work on building a universal child care program that is publicly funded, affordable, and provides quality care while investing in child care workers by providing decent wages and benefits.
Women workers still earn significantly less than their male counterparts, and while the Liberals continue to say nice things, they have waited too long on closing the gender wage gap. The NDP plan would immediately move towards ending gender wage discrimination.
Jagmeet Singh and the NDP believe that prosperity and security should be within everyone’s reach. We can fight the climate crisis and create an economy that produces good jobs now and into the future. By building better workplaces and getting people back to work to strengthen our communities, produce products that people want and need, and help Canadians care for others, we can chart a new course that puts people first.