Posted: Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Sixty years ago in 1948, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration established a common standard for every member nation to uphold thirty fundamental rights and freedoms.

Once the Declaration passed with the unanimous support of all UN member nations, the General Assembly called upon its members to broadly publicize the text, so that everyone from all walks of life would keep these important rights and freedoms in mind.

Workers know the importance of keeping fundamental rights and freedoms front and centre, because it helps to ensure everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness in the workplace.

Despite the unanimous support for the Declaration and despite it being front and centre now for six decades, more and more workers are facing an important struggle for their rights-the right to equal pay for equal work.

Article 23(2) of the Declaration reads, "Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work."

Not one country voted against this fundamental right.

However, Canada's former Minister of Labour, Conservative government's, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, revealed exactly how this government interprets the UN Declaration when he wrote: "I wish to explain that the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a non-binding instrument."

Good jobs are disappearing. It's hard to find a good job these days.

More and more jobs are either part-time, temporary, seasonal or "temp agency" jobs.

Today in Canada, 22% of working people have jobs that are either part-time, temporary, or both.

Close to three million Canadians work in these jobs. As the economy slows, the proportion of part-time and temporary jobs is growing.

In September 2008, Canada's economy created 107,000 jobs-but 97,000 of them were part-time.

For the first time ever, more Canadians now work in the services sector than work in manufacturing. This sector uses many part-time and temp workers who are typically members of equity-seeking groups. Consider for example racialized women are more likely to find themselves working part-time rather than full-time, as are recent immigrants.

Too often, part-time, temp or seasonal workers are paid less than full-time workers doing the same job for the same employer.

Too often, they have fewer benefits than full-time workers-or no benefits at all.

In Canada, it is illegal to pay you less because of your race, religion, or gender. But if you're a part -time or temp worker, discrimination happens every day.

Statistics Canada reports:

• Contract workers earn 8% less per hour than full-time workers doing the same job.
• Casual workers earn 24% less.
• Seasonal workers earn 28% less; and
• Temporary agency workers earn 40% less.

Clearly, part-time and temp workers in Canada face discrimination in the workplace-simply because they are part-time or temporary.

Part time workers need the protection intended by the UN Declaration. These workers who are often women, racialized or newcomers are in fact largely members of equity-seeking communities who need the solidarity of the Canadian labour movement.

The Canadian Labour Congress represents over 3 million workers-and each one deserves "equal pay for equal work".

Sixty years later, it's time to end discrimination based on work status.

Check out www.equalpay.ca for more information on this important struggle.