International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
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In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly adopted October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Despite the continued growth in global economic development, millions of people around the world continue to live in extreme poverty.
Today, there are 1.3 billion people living in persistent poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made matters worse. The link between poor access to social determinants of health and poverty continue to rise. According to the World Bank, between 88 and 115 million people around the world continue to be pushed into poverty during this most recent health and economic crisis.
The United Nations theme for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty surrounds respect for people and planet. To do that, we look to address the systemic issues that cause poverty. In Canada the focus is building back better for a post-pandemic recovery that leaves no one behind. Gig-workers are often cited as an example of people confined to employment on the margins of precariousness and vulnerability as they experience a lack of basic workplace protections.
As we reflect on the actions needed to eradicate poverty there is no better time than now to continue advocating for a post-pandemic recovery that puts workers first. Across Canada, injured workers are continuously deprived dignity, especially when attempting to access compensation after a workplace injury.
It is not okay to sustain an economy on precarious labour as experienced by migrant workers who have no opportunity for citizenship yet are critical to Canada’s economic growth.
Poverty eradication strategies need to address the many ways people experience economic insecurity. To do that, workers must be front and centre in the dialogue.
Ottawa – September 24, 2021 – In June of this year, the federal government proclaimed September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day calls for recognition and reflection of the ongoing legacy of Canada’s residential school system. As a paid statutory holiday, it covers all federally regulated employees working in the public and private sector.
Toronto – June 30, 2021 – Unions around the world are celebrating new international labour rules protecting the right to a workplace free from violence and harassment by launching a new toolkit aimed at raising awareness of the regulations.
Los Angeles, California – June 25, 2021 – Activists from UFCW OUTreach, the United Food and Commercial Workers’ constituency group dedicated to building mutual support between UFCW and the LGBTQI2S community, recently participated in the live-streamed show, Labor’s Voice, to discuss LGBTQI2S workers’ rights in North America.
Toronto – April 29, 2021 – Along with allies from the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW), Migrant Workers Alliance, and Ryerson University, UFCW Canada will host a three-part series that explores the experiences of migrant agricultural workers in Ontario.
Toronto – March 4, 2021 – UFCW OUTreach Executive Board members teamed up with the UCLA Labor Center and led over one hundred participants on a journey to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion at work.
