B.C. could be on the cusp of a major period of labour unrest, similar to what we are seeing in other parts of the world like the UK.
This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site.Author: Kendra Strauss, Director and Associate Professor, The Labour Studies Program, Simon Fraser University
It is not only workers in B.C.’s public sector who voted to take job action in recent weeks — the transit and transportation sectors face strikes by truck drivers at the Port of Vancouver and bus drivers in West Vancouver. The main driver of inflation is the price of gasoline, but even excluding gas the consumer price index rose 6.5 per cent in June. Hourly wages, on the other hand, only increased 5.2 per cent.
But average wages and prices also mask variations in sector-specific pay increases, and its impacts on different groups of workers. The June Labour Force Survey showed differences between the wage growth of unionized versus non-unionized employees nationally: the hourly wages of all workers with union coverage were up 3.7 per cent, compared with 6.1 per cent among non-unionized workers.
Clearly, there is a strong appetite among union members to act collectively to demand better wages and working conditions.Economic historian Adam Tooze, who has analyzed normal and recent drivers of inflation in the U.S. and Europe, notes that the historical role of wages and corporate profits in driving inflation has been reversed. He found that wages have accounted for less than eight per cent of U.S.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why 80 is the new 60: 'It's the triumph of aging' — but not for everyoneMuch of the anti\u002Daging focus isn’t about radical life extension, but rather about dodging the bad stuff until the final years of life
Read more »
Why the Pope’s words continue to reverberateThe lasting impacts of the papal visit will continue to reverberate. It provoked some difficult reflections in churches and among Catholics across the country. It honoured the incredible resilience of Indigenous peoples. It added some fuel to speed up this reconciliation train. But please don’t make policy or legislation that forces us to continue to be resilient. We’d like to be done with that.
Read more »
Why some cities are crammed with cannabis shops – and others are barrenSome cities are teeming with pot shops, sparking concerns of a bubble, while one town over, there could be zero retail presence
Read more »
Why 80 is the new 60: 'It's the triumph of aging' — but not for everyoneMuch of the anti\u002Daging focus isn’t about radical life extension, but rather about dodging the bad stuff until the final years of life
Read more »
Why 80 is the new 60: 'It's the triumph of aging' — but not for everyoneMuch of the anti\u002Daging focus isn’t about radical life extension, but rather about dodging the bad stuff until the final years of life
Read more »
Why 80 is the new 60: 'It's the triumph of aging' — but not for everyone | SaltWireLife expectancy in Canada in the year 1900 was 51. Nowadays? We’re now sitting at just under 80 for men, 84 for women. The extension of life is one of the great medical and social miracles of the last century — but it's not uniform living.
Read more »