OTTAWA,
ON, April 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Unifor
recognizes the federal government for delivering a budget that
pushes social progress and jobs in the face of economic inequities,
relentless affordability pressures and stubbornly high interest
rates.
"Working people in Canada have
been struggling with an affordability crisis, exacerbated by the
Bank of Canada's stubborn refusal
to lower interest rates," said Unifor National President
Lana Payne.
"Budgets can't undo decades of revenue-depleting tax cuts, but
they can act as building-blocks for more creative and progressive
ways to help Canadians weather the economic challenges they face
now and in the future."
With a focus on "Fairness for Every Generation", Budget
2024 commits to significantly bolster Canada's housing stock, including affordable
rental housing and social housing and provides new protections to
renters. The Budget also commits to establish a long overdue
national school food program that, along with childcare, dental
care, and the beginnings of a pharmacare program, represent the
most ambitious progress on social programs in decades.
Unifor is pleased to hear of the commitment to new funding for
VIA Rail to replace its aging fleet of passenger rail vehicles.
However, without distinct commitments to keep VIA Rail public and
rail cars built in Canada, the
country will not reap the full rewards of the investment.
In the auto sector, a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Supply Chain
investment tax credit was announced to support growth in the EV
supply chain. The budget also invests in space and aerospace with a
commitment to enhance technology development for space exploration
and purchase necessary vehicles and equipment. Unifor believes
these efforts must be coupled with a procurement strategy and
industrial strategy that ensures equipment will be designed and
built in Canada.
Increasing taxes on wealthy individuals has been a long-standing
Unifor recommendation. The union commends the government's decision
to increase the Capital Gains tax paid by the wealthiest
individuals and corporations and encourages government to continue
exploring additional tax reform measures that ensure the rich pay
their fair share.
Unifor also welcomes the government's commitment to developing
legislation that guides requirements for safe long-term care homes
through the Safe Long-Term Care Act and to develop a National
Caregiving Strategy, which affects nurses, personal support workers
and early child care educators among others.
Budget 2024 did miss the mark on several key recommendations
identified by Unifor.
"This budget failed to address priorities including
recapitalizing the Strategic Innovation Fund, investment in
domestically manufactured transit vehicles and rolling stock,
targeted supports for workers in Canada's forestry sector and disclosure by
telecommunications companies on outsourcing work," said Unifor
Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.
The union is also disappointed by the key omission of Employment
Insurance reform to improve eligibility and benefits for
workers.
"Unifor will continue to fight for strong industrial policy and
for the government to deliver on a long-standing promise to
modernize and improve the Employment Insurance Program to ensure
that it supports workers when they need it the most," Payne
added.
In 2020, Unifor released its Build Back Better road map to
pave the way for a fair, inclusive and resilient economic recovery,
throughout and beyond the pandemic.
That road map included affordable child care, universal
pharmacare, critical infrastructure, anti-scab legislation and
industrial development and investment.
"The pandemic exposed workers' vulnerability to the
long-standing weaknesses in our social services and gaps in
industrial policies, made worse by the previous Harper government,"
said Payne. "It's encouraging to see this government lay the
foundations for progress that will serve workers well for
generations to come."
Unifor is Canada's largest
union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every
major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working
people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in
Canada and abroad and strives to
create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor