To some, Labour Day means little more than a long weekend, or some extra money on the paycheque.
But to Danny Cavanagh, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL), it’s a time to reflect on all that the labour movement has accomplished — and all that’s left to do.
“I think that we really need to reflect on some further changes that we can make to bring us up and to modernize some of the things that we’ve been dealing with over the years,” Cavanagh said.
He’s referring to things like making sure all workers in the province are covered under workers compensation and modernizing our province’s labour standards code.
Cavanagh said independent contractors and workers in the banking and agriculture sectors, among others, aren’t covered under workers compensation should they be injured on the job.
“If they don’t have private insurance, they’re not covered — and that’s not right,” he said.
The NSFL is looking forward to working with the new Tory government to advance labour issues, Cavanagh said. They’ve reached out to arrange a meeting with Premier Tim Houston.
“There’s lots to be done and there’s a lot we can do,” said Cavanagh, “And by working together we’re going to be able to do that.”
