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Throne Speech ignores need to improve the lives of working families: 250,000 working British Columbians ignored again
February 12, 2008
Victoria - Today's Throne Speech again ignores the need to improve the lives of working families and ensure everyone shares in BC's economic growth, says Angela Schira, Secretary-Treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour.
Schira expressed extreme disappointment that the Premier refused to listen to the thousands of people who have signed the Federation's petition calling for an immediate increase in the minimum wage to $10 an hour.
"There are 250,000 British Columbians who earn less than $10 an hour and the Liberal government has ignored them again for the eighth straight Throne Speech," says Schira. "Liberal MLAs voted themselves a 29 percent wage increase while hard-working British Columbians are abandoned by this government."
Schira was pleased to see the government is following through on one of the Federation's recommendations to change the Employment Standards Act to prohibit agricultural producers from using unlicensed farm labour contractors. However, Schira noted that she wanted to see further changes that would restore basic farmworkers' rights including a minimum wage and overtime pay.
In the area of childcare, Schira was disappointed that the government has chosen to commission another study instead of proceeding with the action needed to assist families today.
Today's Throne Speech also clearly shows the Liberals abandoned its promise to deliver 5,000 long-term care beds and replaced it with a personal savings scheme.
"Gordon Campbell has not only broken his promise on long-term care beds, he has also ignored the advice of his own seniors council," says Schira. "Seniors are now being told that if they want a long-term care bed, they'll have to pay for it out of their own pockets."
There is also little in the Throne Speech today that gives any hope to families impacted by the crisis in the forest industry.
If the government truly acknowledged the crisis in the forest industry, they would have announced an immediate halt to raw log exports from BC forests," said Schira.
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