Employment Standards Act Violations

(A version of this posting appeared recently on www.hamiltonjustice.ca)

The Workers Action Centre reported earlier this month on a new study released by the Chinese Canadian National Council-Toronto Chapter.

The study called “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” documents widespread employment standards violations facing Chinese workers.  http://www.workersactioncentre.org/updates/survey-shows-widespread-esa-violations-including-pay-below-minimum-wage/

For example of the workers surveyed:

**Twenty percent were paid less than minimum wage.
**Only half received public holiday pay.
**Seventy-seven percent said they never receive overtime.

An earlier report by the Workers Action Centre documented similar abuses. The fact that 1 in 3 low-wage workers had experienced unpaid wages in the previous 5 years was indeed shocking. http://www.workersactioncentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pb_unpaidwagesunprotectedworkers_eng.pdf 

The Worker’s Action Centre wants to immediately increase fines and penalties for employers who break the law and make it mandatory for all employers with a confirmed violation to face a fine. 

This just makes sense.