THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT BPW Canada urges the Government of Canada to implement the following recommendations of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Part-time Work in Canada, especially with respect to employees that work regularly on a part-time basis: A) Nos. 5 and 10a, in which the Canada Labour Code Part III (Labour Standards) should be amended to introduce a new provision that would ensure that part-time workers are included in all fringe benefits and pension plans (on a pro-rated basis) where an employer provides these benefits for full-time workers doing similar work; and should be amended to ensure that part-time workers receive the same protection, rights, and benefits (on a pro-rated basis) as those now guaranteed to full-time workers. B) No. 6, with reference to the Federal Pension Benefit Act, those formulae be adopted to calculate earnings and/or length of service, to provide for part-time worker’s pension benefits that are proportionate to those earned by full-time workers after allowance for different hours of work. C) No. 9, that legislation be introduced to replace the 15-hour minimum work-week with a seven-hour minimum work-week for participation in the Unemployment Insurance Plan with a revised system under which all those employed for seven hours or over would pay straight percentage of their salary up to a set level of maximum insurable earnings. These workers should then be covered to U.I. benefits on a basis pro-rated according to the average number of hours they worked each month. D) No. 12, whereby the Canadian Human Rights Act (Section 11, Equal Pay) be amended to ensure that part-time workers should receive equal pay for work of equal value, regardless of the average number of hours per week or month which they work. E) Nos. 15 and 16, whereby Canadian Employment and Immigration: 1) Establish in all Canada Employment Centres a separate part-time workers’ desk” to: a) receive applications from, and provide, counseling for, persons seeking part-time jobs, in order to ensure that part-time jobs are assigned to those wanting part-time employment on a regular basis; b) encourage employers to offer regular part-time jobs and to indicate this on their job-orders; c) to promote, among employers, the concept of job sharing “teams” and assist application to find a job sharing partner; 2) Provide training programs on a part-time basis, particularly in technical and vocational areas, so that these programs are accessible to all those with family responsibilities – especially those who need training for re-entry to the work force in new technological areas. F) Nos. 20 and 21, with reference to employees of the Federal Public Service and its Board and Commissions: 1) To amend the Public Service Superannuation Act to provide all regular part-time employees with pro-rated pension benefits; 2) To change the classification of part-time workers based on the number of hours/week/months worked, to ensure that all regular part-time workers receive rights and benefits on a pro-rated basis; 3) To give Managers incentives for providing regular part-time work and job-sharing in their departments; and to declare that such provision be part of their responsibilities in the implementation of their Affirmative Action Program;4) To give regular part-time workers access to opportunities for promotion and training;5) To expand the roles of the Equal Opportunities for Women Office within the Federal Public Services, to give it the responsibility for encouraging part-time work and job-sharing. G) Nos. 17 and 25, whereby Labour Canada and Employment Canada should publish and distribute information on part-time work and job-sharing through educational program, and through the implementation of Job Creation Program, and through economic and human resources planning politics in the private and public sectors to encourage employers to: 1) Offer regular part-time work throughout the whole spectrum of skills and occupations and at all levels of their organizations; 2) Provide regular part-time workers with access to training program, promotional opportunities, job security and seniority on a basis comparable to their full-time counterparts; 3) Allow both male and female employees to have the option of reducing their work week, with a proportional reduction in wages and benefits for a period of time to meet their life style changes. H) Nos. 26 – 32, whereby Labour Canada and Statistics Canada should extend their work of collecting and analyzing data about part-time workers with particular reference to: 1) The reasons why people work or wish to work part-time, and the distinction between involuntary and voluntary part-time work; 2) Gain a better understanding of the function of part-time employment for women at various times; 3) Determine whether certain measurements such as that of job tenure, and whether definitions such as ‘casual’, ‘seasonal’, ‘temporary’, etc., contain bias against part-time workers. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT BPW Canada calls upon its entire member Clubs, through their Provincial Organizations, to urges their Provincial Governments to implement, through the appropriate legislation or action, the principles expressed in Parts A, B, C, D, E, G of this Resolution. “
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