Archive for the ‘Economy/Employment’ Category
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The rules have to change again – we must tame globalization
The failure of globalization to deliver on the promises of mainstream politicians has surely undermined trust and confidence in the “establishment.” And governments’ offers of generous bailouts for the banks that had brought on the 2008 financial crisis, while leaving ordinary citizens largely to fend for themselves, reinforced the view that this failure was not merely a matter of economic misjudgments… neoliberals, apparently worried about adverse incentive effects, have opposed welfare measures that would have protected the losers.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, Health, ideology, participation, standard of living
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How a ‘pay raise’ turned into a nasty pay cut
It was a dream come true for PSWs, most of whom work long hours and at a job that paid just $12.50 an hour. Only a handful of full-time PSWs earn more than $30,000 a year. But that dream has turned into a nightmare as government health-care agencies force PSWs, who are paid by the hour and are not on a fixed salary, to spend less time with clients and have also reduced the number of clients they see.
The result is that many PSW actually earn less money now than they did before they received the government-mandated “pay raise.”
Tags: budget, disabilities, Health, ideology, standard of living
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The case against privatizing Hydro One
Wynne is no privatization ideologue, but she wants to use about $4 billion of the proceeds from the privatization to build public transit and infrastructure. These things need to be built, but is the solution to sell off vital public assets in order to build new vital public assets? Or is it time to begin reversing the tax-cut binges of recent decades that have left provincial and federal cupboards bare, while bestowing tax savings mostly on corporations and the well-to-do?
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization, tax
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University faculty urges government to keep pursuing fairness for contract faculty and precarious workers everywhere
… the number of courses taught by contract faculty in Ontario has doubled since 2000. These talented scholars face job insecurity, unpredictable scheduling, unfair wages, and they lack access to benefits. The growth of precarious academic work has brought the need for stronger employment and labour laws into sharp focus. OCUFA has recommended that labour law be updated to ensure equal pay for work of equal value and equal access to benefits for contract workers, as well as require that all workers receive reasonable notice of their schedules.
Tags: budget, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Ontario’s labour ministry must ensure employees are paid what they are owed
The ministry must stop depending on complaints from employees to enforce the act. Instead it should conduct more surprise inspections, which are more successful both at catching law-breaking employers and collecting unpaid wages… But still it sticks with its complaints driven process to enforce the act though it knows that even when individual employees file successful claims against employers about two-thirds of the companies still do not comply.
Tags: crime prevention, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, rights, standard of living
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Wage-theft victims lost $28M to poor enforcement, statistics show
Victims of wage theft across Ontario have lost out on $28 million over the past six years because the Ministry of Labour failed to collect the pay owed to them by law-breaking bosses, new statistics show. Just $19 million of the $47.5 million stolen from out-of-pocket workers since 2009 has ever been recovered… (Employment Standards Act) enforcement is still largely complaint driven but that many employees face barriers, like fear of retaliation, that inhibit them from making complaints
Tags: crime prevention, economy, jurisdiction, poverty, rights, standard of living
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Province should protect workers from being fired without cause
A Supreme Court of Canada ruling now protects federally regulated companies from firing workers without cause. The Ontario government should follow suit for provincially regulated industries… That should set a precedent for provincially regulated companies, not to mention industries that are currently unregulated in Ontario such as farming, flower growing, fishing and accounting… Ontario is currently conducting consultations to update the Employment Standards Act.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, rights, standard of living
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Canada’s success within TPP requires change to procurement practices
By shifting to QBS (qualifications based selection), Canadian governments can ensure the most efficient use of taxpayer money in Canada, protect against the hiring of lesser-qualified international firms simply because they are cheaper and help Canadian firms increase exports of their services into new markets around the globe. Regardless of the recent headlines, Canada’s future lies in global trade.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
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Canada is the most tax competitive country for businesses in the world: KPMG
Canada has quietly become the most tax competitive country for businesses globally in all sectors including digital services, research and development, corporate services and manufacturing, according to a study by international tax firm KPMG… In fact, according to the study, all 17 Canadian cities on the list have lower total effective tax costs compared to the U.S. cities that made the cut… But despite Canada’s high ranking it’s worth noting that firms look at total cost, not just tax.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, tax
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Who Still Believes Postmedia Is Canadian-Controlled?
Postmedia’s escape from bankruptcy this week offers at least a tiny opportunity for critics who want the giant corporation’s grip on Canadian newspapers loosened… the U.S. hedge funds… get Postmedia at a discounted price… Our tax laws give Canadian-owned publications an advantage over foreign competitors… this week’s move gives the hedge fund lenders new shares equal to 98 per cent of the shares outstanding, further reducing the proportion of shares held by Canadians.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, privatization, tax
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