ActionDignity initiated a talk on “Why are Workers’ Rights Slipping Away from Our Hands?” on Saturday to shine a light on the challenges and barriers faced by workers. Supported by funding from the United Way of Calgary and Area, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, Family & Community Support Services and the SUNCOR Energy Foundation, this event brought together experts, advocates, and community leaders/members to engage in a critical dialogue about labour-related issues.
“While Labor Day traditionally celebrates the achievements and contributions of workers and labour movements, it is vital to acknowledge the ongoing struggles for workers’ rights, fair wages and safe working conditions have been overlooked,” said Aurelio (Jun) Naraval, the Program and Policy Manager of ActionDignity. The organizer emphasized the need to reflect on the challenges workers still face and support efforts to improve labour conditions through the event.
In an era of evolving workplace and economic uncertainties, workers are confronted with a myriad of obstacles, ranging from wage disparities and job insecurity to discrimination and limited access to essential benefits. The keynote speaker, Jared Matsunage-Turnbull, Executive Director of Alberta Workers’ Health Centre, addressed recent progress, workers’ struggles, and the impact of government actions on workers’ rights.
A panel discussion during the event facilitated a dialogue between a current worker and service providers. One of the panelists, Francis Bakets, shared his personal story of working in Canada. “I was a Judge back in Rwanda, and after countless failures, I secured my first job on a construction site here. There were no time sheets, no protective equipment, and no agreements or contracts. I had to wait to be called only when they had heavy jobs that no one else wanted to do. I had no choice but to take it, as I needed to feed 9 family members.”
Francis’s story is not unique, and his case is not the only case the workers’ rights service providers have encountered. Jay Zapata of Migrante Alberta and Carolyn Krahn of Workers’ Resource Centre, shared their insights into the systemic barriers behind these issues and discussed ways to assist foreign workers.
The event served as a platform for workers, community leaders, employers, policymakers, and advocates to engage in constructive discussions to address the systemic conditions that create the workers’ problems persist. A presentation of “Systems Change and Systems Mapping on Decent Work” was given by ActionDignity, highlighting five key systems forces that impact workers’ situations, including Policies, Practices, Mental Models, Relationships and Power Dynamics, and Resource Flows.
An attendee shared after the discussion, “We feel empowered with this knowledge, resources, and tools, and we hope for systemic changes to create equitable opportunities in inclusive, diverse workplaces.”
As a community-based organization, ActionDignity actively promotes collective actions to advocate for the rights of workers and help them overcome workplace challenges, enables them to pursue their goals and aspirations. For the coming next steps, relationship-building activities and awareness-raising and information sharing activities are expected from the organization.