The National Council of Unemployed Workers (NCUW) notes that the Trudeau government is breaking its commitments on Employment Insurance (EI) reform.
“We have been patient and in good faith for several years because the government was convincing with its commitments. The consultations with civil society have been just as convincing. We are not inventing anything,” said Pierre Céré, spokesperson for the National Council of Unemployed Workers. “But now, enough is enough.”
Indeed, the government had promised EI reform in four mandate letters from its ministers responsible for the file (November 2015, September 2016, January 2021 and December 2021) in addition to committing to it in its 2021 election platform.
“We were told that the implementation of the EI reform plan would occur in the summer of 2022. Then we were told that it has been postponed to the fall, only to have it delayed until December. Now we have learned that the presentation to cabinet members, which was supposed to take place this month, has been postponed to February 2023. Are we being taken for a ride? This has gone on long enough. We get it: there will be no EI reform, let alone changes in the next budget in the spring of 2023,” continued the spokesperson.
The 2020 Speech from the Throne, the 2021 election platform, and the January and December 2021 mandate letters also called for the creation of an EI benefit for the self-employed and on-demand workers, a proposal that will fall by the wayside, just like the other commitments.
“Everything can become too complicated for those who do not want to move forward, with excuses upon excuses. The reform has been a lot of empty talk. But we no longer believe in it. They don’t want to do it, fine: don’t do the EI reform. We will know what to do on our side,” concluded Pierre Céré.