Posted: Friday, 14 October 2011

The Canadian Labour Congress supports the aims of thousands of citizens, many of them younger people, involved in the Occupy Canada protests. They are gathering in Canadian centres from coast to coast to bring attention to how corporate greed is shattering the dreams and aspirations of far too many Canadians. These peaceful protests began in the United States and are spilling over into Canada, as citizens demand real change that will benefit ordinary people and challenge the entitlements of the pampered corporate few.

It was the greed of big banks and financial corporations that triggered the economic and financial crises of 2008-09 which cost tens of thousands of Canadians their jobs and their pensions. Rather than demanding accountability from Bay Street, the Conservative government has rewarded companies with generous corporate tax breaks. Those companies claimed they would use the money handed over to them to create jobs, but instead they are sitting on mountains of cash and refusing to invest in job creation.

There were 1,334,200 unemployed Canadians in September 2011. The unemployment rate among workers aged 15 to 24 was 14.0 per cent, and 48.2 per cent of them were employed only part-time. Six out of 10 unemployed Canadians do not get Employment Insurance because the program’s regulations are rigged against them. This is no way for younger Canadians to build their lives and their futures.

Corporate Canada continues to oppose public investments that would support job creation and quality public services. They oppose improvements to the Employment Insurance program that would help workers who have been affected by the economic turmoil. They oppose enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan which would guarantee that people can retire in dignity after a lifetime of work. For years, Canadians have had to work ever harder to maintain their living standards. They have experienced an erosion in their wages, their pensions, and their hopes for the future. All the while, corporate CEOs and other rich Canadians have become even richer.

The Occupy Canada movement conveys a real frustration along with a determination to work for change. We understand these protests and support their aims because we have also been fighting corporate greed and its fallout for a long time. We are in solidarity with these peaceful and timely expressions of commitment by our fellow citizens.