Rail workers continue the fight against surveillance

OTTAWA, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Unifor rail workers are back in Ottawa this week to urge senators to amend the government bill authorizing workplace surveillance (Bill C-49).

"C-49 was rushed and will have widespread implications for workers in every sector," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "The federal government has simply not done its homework on these extraordinary surveillance measures."

Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and other Acts respecting transportation and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, proceeded rapidly through the House of Commons and is proceeding to second reading in the Senate this month.

The bill proposes to require all railway operators to install and utilize Locomotive Voice and Video Recorders (LVVRs). Unifor says the government has provided little evidence to demonstrate how LVVRs will be an improvement over the "black box" data recorders already installed on trains.

Unifor submitted a formal response in August and hopes to have the LVVR measures scrapped altogether or be overseen by strict regulation that prevent employers from accessing footage for punitive purposes.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor