PEI’s Employment Standards Act is out of step with current realities and needs a full-scale review by government — that’s the message from the PEI Working Group for a Livable Income. It held a news conference Tuesday to outline the need for a comprehensive review of employment standards in the province.
Members of the Working Group touched on a variety of standards and rights, including job protection for those taking maternity and parental leave; strengthening provisions dealing with sexual harassment; balancing child and elder care responsibilities with employment; pay equity and the same level of protection for workers with disabilities; and the rights and challenges of migrant workers in PEI.
Group member Marie Burge says it’s been 12 years and three government mandates since the last comprehensive review of the Employment Standards Act — an Act, she says sets the very minimum workplace standards for non-unionized workers in the province.
Burge and group members are calling on the Department of Workplace and Advanced Learning to start the process, noting there’s been a rapid redefinition of work in PEI’s economy, affecting all aspects of life for Islanders.