Today I asked the Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration why Nova Scotians work so much longer before getting the overtime pay they deserve. The Minister had no response, except to say that he was a construction worker himself.
You can view the recording below:
Keep reading to see the transcript of my interaction with the Minister of labour, Skills and Immigration.
PAUL WOZNEY « » : Overtime pay kicks in at 40 hours in the majority of Canadian jurisdictions, including B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Our make-it-happen Premier has boldly proclaimed in this House, “If it’s good enough for another province, then it is good enough for Nova Scotia.” Here in Nova Scotia, you have to work 48 hours before you make a dime of overtime pay. This government is fond of saying that the best social program is a job. So why do they make it harder for Nova Scotians who work long hours to get ahead?
HON. NOLAN YOUNG « » : We are working hard to keep the working conditions in Nova Scotia that are fair, that are stable. We are always evaluating what is happening in other jurisdictions, and we will continue to monitor that.
PAUL WOZNEY « » : The fact is this province has some of the most egregious overtime pay loopholes in the country. At a time when this minister stands on a record of prioritizing construction workers in immigration, some workers in Nova Scotia – like construction workers – don’t even get overtime until they work more than 110 hours over a two-week period.
When will the Minister of Labour admit that these labour code loopholes show a profound lack of respect for the hard-working Nova Scotians we rely on to build up this province?
HON. NOLAN YOUNG « » : I’ll remind the member over there that I am a construction worker as well. Again, we’re always evaluating, always looking at the landscape and doing jurisdictional scans and seeing what’s out there. We’ll continue to evaluate.
