On September 20, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) welcomed a Chinese delegation made up of 11 labour specialists from the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security and also the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to the national office in Ottawa.
The delegation has a mandate from the central government to conduct research and generate practical recommendations for reform of the maternity insurance system and labour standards that will lead to improved working conditions for the millions of female workers in textiles, manufacturing, construction and other industries.
The delegation will be visiting with CUPE and other unions and central labour bodies to learn about employment practices in Canada that support the employment of women, including:
- The Employment Insurance system and the benefits available to women and families
- employment standards and their enforcement and effectiveness
- The development of labour standards policies and legislation
- The identification and promotion of good labour practices
- Policies, legislation, programs and practices to protect female employees from discrimination and promote fairness of women’s employment