The Legault government must introduce legislation as soon as possible to define the work of young people under the age of 14, the Quebec Liberal Party is demanding.
• Also read: Labor shortage: Young people are not the solution, according to the Minister of Labor
• Also read: They hire young people between the ages of 14 and 17… and give them a scholarship at the end of their studies
• Also read: The work of young people could be detrimental to their academic success
“In recent years there has been an alarming number of unfortunate incidents. Additional guidance is needed quickly,” opposition official spokeswoman for employment and labor Madwa-Nika Cadet said.
According to the Bourrassa-Sauvé member, the government took too long before launching the file.
“My colleagues took several steps last semester,” she explains. They had many meetings with Mr Boulet and even sent him a letter to speed things up. »
New data on the rise in the number of accidents at work among workers under the age of 16 show that urgent action is needed. According to CNESST, the number of accidents in Quebec increased by 155% between 2017 and 2021.
make up for a deficiency
Madwa-Nika Cadet is relieved that the minister doesn’t see teenagers as a solution to the labor shortage. (Link to Jeremy’s article)
However, she regrets that the Coalition avenir Québec lacked vision and that this was the reason for the massive influx of workers under the age of 14.
“We have been monitoring the problem for years, particularly because of the aging of the population. The government has made a major omission and we find ourselves in the current situation where unqualified young people are jeopardizing their academic success to make up for this shortage. »
immigration
According to PLQ, the solution to the labor market crisis is “through permanent immigration and additional measures to keep experienced workers in the market”.
In an interview with the Journal in the last few days, Jean Boulet said that we should rather advocate for the contribution of seniors, temporary migrant or First Nations workers, people living with disabilities, or even robotisation. .
Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“We know that we have to bet on robotization, but it is a long-term measure that requires a lot of investment. At this time, companies are lacking in arms and we need to find a way to make up for Quebec’s lack of productivity,” Ms. Cadet continues.
hard expected
What is certain is that the draft law regulating youth work is “firmly anticipated” by the official opposition. The employment critic has very specific demands that she would like to find reflected in the Minister of Labor’s proposal.
“We want a minimum working age to be set and working hours to be limited to 17 hours per week, as recommended by the Labor and Manpower Advisory Committee (CCTM),” she concludes.
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