In what can be described as the strongest language against Driver Inc from the government to date, Patty Hajdu, federal minister of Jobs and Families, unequivocally declared Ottawa continues to be committed to ending rampant labour misclassification in the Canadian trucking industry.
Speaking to the board of the Canadian Trucking Alliance in Ottawa last week, the Thunder Bay-Superior North MP stated Labour Canada and ESDC have been working hard to combat the misclassification crisis in trucking.
“Tackling misclassification is a key part of our plan on building a more competitive and stronger Canada. Misclassification has been illegal under the Canada Labour Code.. but more recently we shifted the burden onto employers to show that a worker is in fact an independent contractor,” she said to CTA member carriers and about 30 other MPs, staffers and senators attending CTA’s reception.
“There are employers doing it the right way like you in this room, who have to compete on an unfair playing field (against) people making money off the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities … but also cutting corners to provide better prices to their customers. That’s certainly not fair to you as well as the unsuspecting workers who have not understood what is happening to them.”
Hajdu said the government continues to collaborate with labour rights stakeholders and other federal and provincial government agencies to ensure“bad actors that are breaking the rules experience real consequences.”
She added ESDC has strengthened cooperation with government departments at various levels of government, including CRA, which has on its own issued $7.7 million in tax re-assessments over related tax misclassification since February.
“We continue to identify areas where we can strengthen our tools .. to end this practice once and for all. Anyone practicing (labour misclassification) in this way – we will find them and we will hold them accountable.”
CTA president Stephen Laskowski thanked the minister for her unwavering commitment to ending the illegal practice of misclassification in trucking.
“The minister has shown tremendous leadership and integrity and fought around the cabinet to make this happen and putting sharp teeth in enforcement.”
