On the Eve of Labour Day 2020

Use of Ministerial Powers to Silence Workers' Voices and Pro-Social Solutions

- Pierre Chénier -

Health care workers demonstrate against the use of ministerial orders,
Saguenay Lac Saint Jean, July 9, 2020.

With Labour Day 2020 just a few days a way, a serious problem the workers and their organizations across the country are tackling is the use of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis by federal, Quebec and provincial governments as a pretext to wield and strengthen arbitrary powers. These governments claim that under the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, the people should accept this as legitimate and accept whatever measures are imposed in this way, including the attacks on the rights of workers. According to them, it is not possible to deal with COVID-19 public health emergency, mitigate its impact and reopen the economy in a manner which upholds the rights of all.

Legislation, ministerial orders and orders-in-council appear in such rapid succession we suspect even the ministries cannot keep up with them. Real life has shown that the pandemic makes all the more necessary, not less, the need to render account for decisions which affect the people. The aim of bringing the pandemic under control requires full information and discussion, the involvement of those who are affected by the decisions and their consent, in order to put full weight behind decisions. But when governments instead use arbitrary powers to impose anti-social measures, this does great harm to society.

In light of this, the actions of workers across the country are truly heroic and important. In this issue we report on the plight of Quebec nurses and actions of BC hotel workers. Uppermost on our minds is the plight of our teachers and education workers across the country as many schools reopen. The refusal of governments to put the well-being of students, education personnel and parents as the guiding principle of their actions is putting tremendous pressure on their physical and mental health. It is not at all what is being reported by monopoly-owned media who devote their coverage to inciting discord against teachers, promoting claims by governments and editorial boards which are simply not true and have nothing to do with what is taking place "on the ground," and merely serve to increase the anxiety of the teachers and staff who have to deal with the consequences. It is unconscionable.

Protests demand the withdrawl of Ontario Bill 195 which extends extend temporary orders issued during the COVID-19 state of emergency, once the emergency is lifted.

Already workers and their organizations are coping with laws and ministerial orders that declare negotiated collective agreements null and void, attempt to deprive workers' defence organizations of any clout, and dictate that paying the rich, no matter the cost to society, is the only way forward. What ministers and media declare is happening has no relationship to what the workers are actually experiencing at their places of work or the measures they have to take to guarantee their own health and safety and that of the population. Wherever people feel safe it is thanks to measures the workers in that sector have put in place, and to their speaking out about the actual conditions and what is required.  

The pressure on workers in the health sector has been tremendous and, on top of it, they are supposed to carry on business as usual as if governments are providing everything they require. Now teachers and education workers are going through the most stressful conditions as they attempt to guarantee both the safety of students, parents and staff, as well as teach the children and youth. The stories of what they are being asked to do and put up with are themselves distressing but all we hear from the premiers and media is that money has been thrown at the problem and everything is fine, or that the demands of the teachers and staff are impossible and that COVID-19 in the schools is inevitable. It is not the case.

We salute all the workers across the country for their role producing the goods and delivering the services required under the stressful conditions and those from other strata who have collaborated with them. The fend for oneself approach governments force on the population must be denounced. They make the conditions of the pandemic unmanageable. This is unacceptable in a modern society which is more than capable of handling the difficulties on a pro-social basis.

Health care workers and professionals have been the first line of defence for the health and safety of seniors in long-term care and seniors’ homes, and for patients in the hospitals, carrying out their responsibilities at great personal sacrifice. It is the implementation of the demands and solutions of the health care workers and professionals which can resolve the crisis in health care and seniors’ care. So too in other sectors of the economy. The lessons are clear, and with schools reopening the demands of the teachers, edcuation workers, students and parents and the solutions they propose must be discussed and taken up for implementation, not dismissed.

Workers have proven, under very difficult circumstances, that they are the essential factor in the functioning and well-being of society. They have to take things into their own hands all the time while standing up to the abuse of their rights by those who have usurped decision-making power at every level. They are making every effort to make their voices heard by taking clear stands against returning to "business as usual," a state of affairs that gave rise to the crisis conditions in the first place. This situation is worsening except to the extent that the workers are able to put a stop to it.

The only thing which is predictable is that the processes governments have imposed as "the new normal" eliminate the voice of the workers and their organizations as the essential factor in determining what is required to ensure the health and safety of the population and set the direction of the economy. This refusal to implement pro-social solutions to the crisis will cause more problems.

What goes around comes around. This makes it essential for the workers and their organizations to be able to keep abreast of what is happening so as to not be caught flat-footed even as they fight every day for what belongs to them by right.

In this situation, the responsibility the Workers' Centre of CPC(M-L) has taken up is to hold as many workers' forums as possible where the workers can speak their minds, exchange experiences and analyze the consequences of unfolding events and the measures which are being taken.

Smashing the silence on living and working conditions is important to break the isolation and marginalization of workers in all sectors, appreciate the human factor/social consciousness that keeps the economy going, and enable the workers to enable themselves to turn things around in their favour.

This article was published in

Number 58 - September 3, 2020

Article Link:
On the Eve of Labour Day 2020: Use of Ministerial Powers to Silence Workers' Voices and Pro-Social Solutions - Pierre Chénier

    

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