Truck Drivers Say: “Minister Hajdu: It’s time to take on bad bosses, enforce the Canada Labour Code, and invest in road health and safety.”

Brampton, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the last day of National Trucking Week, drivers from across Canada brought an urgent message to the Carney government. They called on Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu and other government representatives to “Fix Trucking Now” and take effective action to stop wage theft, end misclassification, and address health and safety concerns for drivers and the public.

At a news conference outside the constituency office of John Zerucelli, Secretary of State for Labour, truck drivers called on Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu to enforce the Canada Labour Code directly, and ensure meaningful consequences for employers who misclassify workers, steal wages, make illegal deductions from pay, and fail to pay for all hours worked.

Misclassifying drivers as independent contractors is one symptom of the rampant wage theft in this sector. But that is the only thing this government is looking at.

“Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu has outsourced her responsibilities to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) which is imposing additional financial penalties on drivers, instead of making sure employers follow the Canada Labour Code,” said Navi Aujla, Service Director for Labour Community Services of Peel and member of Justice for Truck Drivers.

According to Aujla, this strategy turns an issue of worker exploitation into a seemingly neutral tax matter that not only penalizes drivers who are the victims of misclassification, it makes workers responsible for changing the behaviour of their employers, which is clearly an unrealistic expectation.

Karanveer Singh, a truck driver and member of Justice for Truck Drivers, explained: “Truck drivers are being punished twice: first they are denied their legal rights under the Canada Labour Code, then they are penalized again by punitive tax measures for circumstances beyond their control.”

Singh said truck drivers transport 90% of all consumer goods, but face declining wages, unpaid work, rampant wage theft, and serious health and safety risks. “Many of us are at the breaking point,” he added. “It is harder and harder for drivers to maintain a livelihood, even though the trucking industry is critical to Canada’s economy.”

Deepmala Sk is also a driver and member of Justice for Truck Drivers: “Much of our essential work is unpaid — hours on the road, time waiting at borders or docks, and even the miles actually driven compared to what companies will pay us for. We are losing thousands and thousands of dollars each year.”

Although truck drivers comprise 17% of Canada’s federally-regulated workforce, 85% of all confirmed Canada Labour Code violations have been filed by truck drivers against their employers.

The recently published report, Running on Empty: Truck Drivers in Canada are Underpaid and Overworked, highlights the full scope of the crisis facing drivers today:

● 40% of drivers were forced by employers to take risks on things such as overloading, dangerous goods loads, skipping breaks, and driving over the legal limit of hours;

● 70% of drivers report not being paid for all the hours worked;

● Over half of long-haul drivers do not get paid for the actual miles they drive;

● 63% of drivers report unpaid wages one or more times. The average amount of those unpaid wages was $10,000; and

● 42% of company drivers said they are misclassified as independent contractors in their current job.

According to the report, employers regularly neglect equipment and vehicle maintenance as a cost-cutting measure, putting drivers and the public at risk. Over 80% of drivers report being asked to drive equipment that was not properly maintained, either always or at least occasionally. Shockingly, fewer than 20% of drivers reported that they were never asked to drive improperly maintained vehicles.

Truck drivers are calling on Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu; Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli; Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs and Families Leslie Church; and Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Natural Resources Corey Hogan to take the following actions:

Improve and enforce the Canada Labour Code and the National Safety Code so that:

● Drivers are paid fully–and on time–for all hours worked;

● Minimum pay rates are established that compensate drivers for the full cost of their actual time worked, gas, and vehicle maintenance; and

● Health and safety for drivers and the public become top priorities for employers.

Drivers are also calling on a greater investment in transportation infrastructure, including:

● More legal and safe rest areas with proper public washroom facilities;

● Better road maintenance and repairs to facilitate transportation and minimize wear and tear on vehicles and equipment; and

● Better staffing to ensure pro-active enforcement of both the Canada Labour Code and the National Safety Code.

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