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A private member’s bill that recently came up for second reading in the House of Commons is a much-needed step in efforts to end the exploitation of unpaid interns in Canada, but more needs to be done, Canada’s largest union in the private sector says.
“Young people need and deserve real jobs on which they can build their lives, contribute to society and maybe even pay off the massive debts they’ve built getting their education,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias said.
Unifor is calling for all parties to support the bill.
The bill from NDP MP Laurin Liu, however, only applies to federally regulated employers such as telecommunications, financial institutions and transportation. Many more young people work in provincially regulated sectors, and also need proper protections.
“It is time for the provinces to step up and bring in similar legislation,” Dias said. “We cannot allow our young people to be exploited in unpaid internships.”
Such legislation needs to treat interns like any other employees, with the full protection of labour laws around health and safety, work standards and wages.
Dias called on the federal government to work with the provinces to ensure a national standard for internships, as well as clear rules governing work terms, school co-op programs and field placements for students.
