Lisa CAmeron: Workplace infections have been the primary cause of COVID-19 outbreaks in hard-hit areas across Canada, yet 46 percent of Nova Scotian workers lack guaranteed access to paid sick leave; a benefit proven to help prevent the spread of illnesses and keep the public safe.
Media release: migrant support organization No one is illegal – Halifax/Kjipuktuk (NOII-Hfx) released the results of an informal poll asking migrant workers in Nova Scotia about the key changes that they would like to see at the provincial level. The results of the poll are being released in the lead up to the upcoming provincial election on August 17th.
A new report makes an excellent case for the obvious, that nobody in Nova Scotia should have to go to work sick, ever. Going to work sick is bad for you, it’s bad for the people who sit next to you on the bus, and it’s bad for your co-workers. It’s also incredibly mean-spirited to force people to go to work sick.
Rent control and the provincial paid sick leave program both have built-in end dates and are likely to end fairly soon., says Gary Burrill, the leader of the provincial NDP. The Liberals never wanted these programs in the first place, says Burrill.
Media release: In a creative response to COVID-19 restrictions, multiple simultaneous micro-protests are happening across Nova Scotia to push the province for 10 permanent and employer-paid sick days.
Media release: The Halifax Workers Action Centre (“Halifax-WAC”) says the Liberal Government’s plan to provide a reimbursement to employers for providing paid sickness leave to employees is a move in the right direction, but the plan falls far short of what Nova Scotia workers need.
Danny Cavanagh: The Nova Scotia Government’s announcement of four days of paid sick leave is a great win for all of us who have been advocating for it. But we know that four days is not enough, and we know that employers should be paying for it, not the taxpayers and above all, it must be permanent, not temporary.
Press release: Nova Scotia Federation of Labour President Danny Cavanagh is pleased with today’s announcement from the provincial government that workers will be able to get 4 paid sick days.
Rather than scolding , the premier should take a hard look at the state of the province, and consider the damage done by decades of deadly penny pinching austerity and a paralyzing fear of offending employers.
Danny Cavanagh: Taxpayers should not be bailing out profitable corporations, but that is what we see proposed in Ontario with its 3-day sick leave plan which is inadequate for workers and unfair to taxpayers. Employers should pay for sick leave, and if they really need help, they must be required to prove they need that help.