PM Trudeau hopes to gain the backing of the NDP through this initiative
Earlier this week during his daily news conference, Trudeau said that “the government will continue discussions with the provinces without delay on ensuring that as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic, every worker in Canada who needs it has access to 10 days of paid sick leave a year.”
He added that they will “also consider other mechanisms for the longer term to support workers with sick leave.”
Trudeau is hoping to gain the backing of the New Democratic Party (NDP) for his plans to extend the suspension of the House of Commons amid continued COVID-19 fears, according to a recent CBC report. Trudeau’s Liberal party hold a minority of seats and need additional backing in the House of Commons to pass the motion.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, responded in a statement to the House of Commons saying, “we’ve seen a positive announcement today by the prime minister, but it is not enough. We need to see the action as well. And we are hopeful though that action will be coming.”
Access to paid sick leave has been tested by the current pandemic and need for workers to test positive to COVID-19 to stay at home and quarantine. Many businesses have been offering paid sick leave to employees in an effort to combat the spread of the virus in the workplace.
Nevertheless, many Canadians continue to be at a disadvantage when it comes to access to paid sick leave and health benefits, this includes workers in hospitality as well as gig economy workers and others.
