PRECARIOUS WORK: • Its dangers to workers • How we can fight it If you are looking for a job these days, then you already know all about precarious work . It’s almost impossible to find a “normal” job: with steady, full-time hours, a decent wage, and benefits. Instead, most jobs seem to be insecure, short- term, and poorly-paid. There aren’t many jobs out there – and most of the available jobs are pretty lousy. All these forms of precarious What is Precarious Work? work have one thing in com - mon: Workers are forced to bear A precarious job is employment that offers compensation, the risk of any downturn in the hours, or security inferior to a “regular” job. Precarious work employer’s business (because comes in many forms: workers can be disposed of immediately when they’re no longer needed). Yet even when Agency work: Instead of working Seasonal work: You’re employed they are working, workers can’t directly for the employer, you work only in particular seasons when busi - plan their lives or support their for an employment agency (who ness is booming. families: their hours and sched - creams several dollars per hour off of ules are undependable, and Home-work: You do your job from your your wages!). their pay and benefits are rock- own home – fitting work into “free time” bottom. Many of these jobs fail Temporary work: The job only lasts around domestic duties (and paying for to pay normal employment ben - for a few days, weeks, or months. It’s the building and utilities yourself!). efits like health, life insurance, “just-in-time” labour: you work only sick pay, or pensions. Self-employment: Instead of putting as long as the boss needs you. you on the payroll, you’re paid to com - Contracting out : Instead of having plete a contract – and considered regular employees, jobs are con - “self-employed” but still depend on the tracted out to suppliers. boss for all your work . Casual or ‘on-call’ work: You’re Part-Time: Many part-time jobs offer called in only at the employer’s precarious conditions and many “part- request – so you never know ahead of timers” would prefer full-time work, time when you’ll be working. with regular shifts. Who’s Precarious? What is a Good Job, Anyway? Researchers believe that less When we fight against the spread of precarious work, we are fighting to than two-thirds of employed defend the standards of a “good job.” Our goal is a job that offers ade - workers still enjoy a “regular” quate income, security, and stability, so that workers can support their job (full -time, steady work with families and enjoy a decent, full life. benefits). The rest have been Here are the key things we look for in a “good job”: forced into precarious jobs of • Decent pay that allows an adequate, secure standard of living for work - one form or another. ers and their families, and full participation in society. In Canada today, almost one in • Regular, predictable, year-round hours. No excessive overtime. five employed workers is part- • Access to full-time hours for those who want them. time; that’s up dramatically over Health, insurance, and pension benefits (including for part-time workers). the last two decades. One in • six workers are “self-em - • Excellent health and safety conditions and training; comfortable ployed,” many working in very working conditions. poor conditions. Many more • Workplace protection (including against arbitrary punishment or dis - Canadians work in temporary or missal) and elected representation. contract positions. • Equal, fair treatment at work; freedom from harassment or discrimination. Women have always been most • Paid time off work for holidays and vacation; family care needs and per - subject to precarious work. sonal days; and life-long education and training. Employers take advantage of • Meaningful and productive work, that allows for personal development. women’s struggle to balance Naturally, decent wages top the list of these features of a “good job.” But worklife and family duties. But keep in mind: you could earn an hourly wage that seems attractive, yet you the goal is not making work could be hurt by inadequate or unreliable hours, or because you have to pay manageable for women. The for benefits out of your own pocket. So better wages are crucial to the strug - goal is cheap labour. gle for good jobs – but that struggle must also address hours, benefits, Workers of colour and new security, and representation . Canadians have also been very vulnerable to precarious work. A Global Fight: But precarious work strate gies Unions around the world are fighting are now creeping into traditional precarious work. For example, the International Metalworkers Federation sectors of the economy (IMF), to which the CAW belongs, has (like manufacturing), and made the fight against precarious affecting more men, too. work its top priority for organizing, For example, top global bargaining, and lobbying. companies like Toyota October 7 was the World Day for Decent now use contract workers Work , supported by the CAW and unions around the world. to make up 30% or more of See www.imfmetal.org their workforce. 2 for more information. Why Precarious? Precarious work has grown dramatically in recent years, for many reasons: Intense competition: Employers, fighting to survive in a dog-eat-dog economy, squeeze every last cent out of their labour costs. Globalization: To compete with low-cost imports, of goods and services employers try to drive down their own workers to ‘third world’ standards. ‘Flexibility’: In a volatile economy, employers hesitate to take on permanent em - Fighting Precarious Work at the ployees. Bargaining Table Unemployment and recession: When labour markets are weak, and Union members have a special opportunity, and a responsibility, unemployed workers are especially to fight precarious work through collective bargaining. desperate, precarious work becomes more common. Employers know that Some of the contract clauses we fight for include: workers will take any job, no matter how precarious. • Wages sufficient to adequately support workers and their families. Government neglect: • Benefits for part-time workers (eg. full health care coverage). Governments have largely accepted Clear rules regarding hours of work, including maximizing hours the logic that employers should be • free to set employment conditions, (scheduled by seniority), limits on overtime, minimum call-in periods with very little regulation or oversight. (at least 4 hours), and minimum notice of schedule changes. To prevent this kind of excess Provisions to convert part-time or irregular jobs into permanent, full- • competition from driving down time jobs. Limit the number or ratio of part-timers. working conditions and the qual - • Recognition clauses must not exclude temporary or contract workers. ity of work life, governments must • Restrictions on temporary or contract workers, the abuse of “proba - play a more active role (see p.4). tion” periods, and out-sourcing. • Health and safety training to ensure that everyone (including new or temporary workers) is safe. • Protect good jobs during economic downturns through EI work-sharing. If you have other examples of contract provisions that can put limits on precarious work, please send them to the CAW Research Department at [email protected] so we can share them with others! 3 Fighting Precarious Work in the Political Arena We fight at the bargaining table to protect our members against precarious work, with language on job security, contract work, part-time work, hours, and bene - We Can Stop fits. But the quality of our jobs also reflects trends in broader economic and social conditions. That’s why it’s essential for CAW members to be fully active in Precarious Work! the political arena, fighting for economic and social policies that lift up employ - The relentless expansion of precar - ment standards and limit precarious work, for the benefit of all workers. ious work is undermining the Here are some of the demands we will put to governments at all levels, to stop this bargaining power and the working precarious “race to the bottom”: conditions of all workers. That’s • Reduce unemployment, and strengthen Employment Insurance and social why the CAW is making it a prior - assistance: Precarious work is more common in tough economic times, when ity: in our bargaining, our political desperate workers will take whatever employers offer. action, and our education. We must monitor the expansion of • Rules on hours of work: Government employment standards should set out precarious work, understand its basic rules allowing for more stability and predictability in working hours – dangers, and find ways to defend including minimum call-in periods (4 hours or more), and minimum notice for the ideal of a “good job.” changing work schedules. Regulating employment agencies: Agencies profit from the desperation of To win this fight, we will: • workers, creaming outrageous amounts off their hard-earned paycheques. On • Strengthen our work with laid-off average, agency workers make 40% less than the permanent workers they CAW members, through our work beside. Standards must be implemented to stop this exploitation, and Action Centres and other forums. ensure basic fairness in agency work (including stopping illegal deductions, access to paid holidays and vacations, and having freedom to apply for per - • Build alliances with community manent jobs with the same employer). partners and other unions to fight for good jobs. • Legally clarifying the “employer”: Ultimate responsibility for the fair treat - ment of workers (including payment of wages and benefits, health and safety • Push governments to close the protection, holiday pay, and other standards) must lie with the final employer loopholes that allow precarious as well as with any employment agency. Employers can’t “outsource” their workers to be exploited.