Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement in honour of Labour Day, on Monday Sept. 3, 2018:

“On Labour Day, we celebrate and honour the working people who have fought, and continue to fight, for workers’ rights and better lives for everyone, in every workplace.

“The rights and workplace standards we often take for granted are the direct result of the labour movement. Without the collective action of unions and workers, we would not have minimum wages, humane working hours, vacation and overtime pay, parental leave, employment insurance, protection from discrimination and harassment, job security and workplace safety standards.  

“As inequality grows in Canada and around the globe, it is more important than ever to stand up for fairness and a more equal economy that works for everyone. This is at the heart of our government, and drives the work we do every day to make life better for people in B.C.

“We still have a long way to go to make B.C. jobs work better for people. But we’re making important progress.

“That includes launching the Fair Wages Commission, to get B.C. to a $15-an-hour minimum wage, taking action to improve access to trades training, increasing opportunities for apprenticeships on public-sector construction projects. And we’re making sure communities, families and workers benefit when government spends public money on major projects, like bridges, roads and hospitals.

“We’re supporting worker health and safety, modernizing labour legislation to support all workers in our province, and preventing the exploitation of vulnerable workers.

“We’re also working across the board to improve the services workers rely on – like affordable child care, health care and education.

“We’re going to keep working to make life better for workers and their families. We can build a better future for everyone in B.C., together.

“Happy Labour Day!”