Statement by the Prime Minister on Labour Day
September 2, 2024Ottawa, OntarioThe Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Labour Day:
“From bricklayers and welders, to nurses and teachers, to carpenters and millwrights, Canada’s engine has been – and always will be – its workers. Today, on Labour Day, we honour their legacy of hard work, resilience, and progress.
“A strong middle class doesn’t happen by accident. The eight-hour workday; weekends off; old age security; universal healthcare; good-paying, fulfilling, and dignified work – none of these protections and programs were given. None of them were guaranteed. None of them were inevitable. They were won. And they were won by workers.
“Workers built the middle class. That’s why our government will always have their backs. We passed the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act so that workers have a seat at the table as we build a green economy right here in Canada. We passed historic anti-scab legislation which banned replacement workers because they tilt the playing field and enable employers to walk away from the bargaining table, where the best deals are made. We’ve made it clear that if companies want full access to our tax credits for clean technology, clean electricity, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture utilization and storage, they need to pay workers a meaningful wage and have a responsibility to support the next generation of skilled workers through apprenticeships.
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