Reduced holidays for frontline retail workers - Spanish

RADIO - CHHA AM 1610 Voces Latinas - Toronto, 19/06/2020 - NEWS, Spanish

Summary Translation: The Ford government plans to reduce the number of statutory holidays for frontline retail employees from nine to three. Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi said the union participated in a technical meeting with the office of Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson. They were told the number of holidays would be reduced to three: Christmas, Good Friday and Canada Day. The two-year pilot project proposed by the government would allow retail stores to stay open six additional days to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rizvi said these holidays are often the only time off retail workers are guaranteed. She informed Thompson's office that the union is completely opposed to the proposal. The union was told that municipalities can choose not to participate, but they would have to approve regulations to opt out. The proposal comes right after Loblaws, Metro, Walmart and Sobeys ended pandemic pay increases for their employees. Unifor represents about 2,000 retail workers and leads the effort to make fair pay permanent.