The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Labour Day:

“From bricklayers and welders, to nurses and teachers, to carpenters and millwrights, Canada’s engine has been – and always will be – its workers. Today, on Labour Day, we honour their legacy of hard work, resilience, and progress.

“A strong middle class doesn’t happen by accident. The eight-hour workday; weekends off; old age security; universal healthcare; good-paying, fulfilling, and dignified work – none of these protections and programs were given. None of them were guaranteed. None of them were inevitable. They were won. And they were won by workers.

“Workers built the middle class. That’s why our government will always have their backs. We passed the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act so that workers have a seat at the table as we build a green economy right here in Canada. We passed historic anti-scab legislation which banned replacement workers because they tilt the playing field and enable employers to walk away from the bargaining table, where the best deals are made. We’ve made it clear that if companies want full access to our tax credits for clean technology, clean electricity, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture utilization and storage, they need to pay workers a meaningful wage and have a responsibility to support the next generation of skilled workers through apprenticeships.

“But taking care of workers goes beyond just the workplace. So, we introduced $10-a-day child care, which is saving families up to $14,000 per child, every year. We're setting up the National School Food Program, which will help feed more children and reduce grocery bills. We’re pushing ahead on national pharmacare, which will make insulin free for every Canadian who needs it, and providing free prescription contraceptives, because we not only believe in a woman’s right to choose – we act on it. And our Canadian Dental Care Plan has already helped over half a million previously uninsured Canadians get the dental care they deserve.

“These are important victories for Canadians. For families. For the middle class. And they wouldn’t be possible without workers. We will keep fighting for and alongside workers – because when they succeed, the middle class succeeds, and Canada succeeds.

“As we celebrate Labour Day, let’s remember the hard-fought wins that Canada’s workers secured for our success, and let’s work together to make the best country in the world even better.”