Toronto Star
May 12, 2011
About one in three low-wage workers in Ontario is a victim of "wage theft," according to a report being released at Queen's Park.
“The legal right to minimum wage, overtime pay and wages is not a reality for people in low-wage and precarious work,” says the report, obtained by the Star.
The Workers' Action Centre survey of low-wage workers found:
• 20% earned less than minimum wage
• 39% failed to receive earned overtime pay
• 36% were fired or laid off without termination pay or notice
• 34% struggled to get vacation pay
• 33% were owed wages and of those only 23 per cent were ever paid
Take action
Email the Minister of Labour, Charles Sousa here
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Call our workers rights hotline at
(416) 531-0778 to report wage theft
WHAT IS WAGE THEFT
Many of us are not earning enough to live on. We face unfair conditions at work every day. Too many employers don’t pay us what we should be paid by law. Why is this allowed to happen? We deserve decent wages and fairness at work!
Our wages are stolen when:
We are not paid for all the hours that we work, or we are not paid at all
We are not paid minimum wage, overtime pay or for other legal rights
We are wrongly treated as independent contractors or self employed
We are charged a fee to get a job
HOW WE CAN STOP WAGE THEFT
We can stop wage theft when we work together. We have done it before! Many US states have passed Wage Theft laws. It can be done!!
TO STOP WAGE THEFT THE GOVERNMENT MUST:
Make all employers follow the law in all workplaces
Update labour laws to protect all workers
Increase the minimum wage to bring workers out of poverty
Ensure equal status and protection for all workers regardless of immigration status
For more detailed information on our demands to the Ontario government, refer to our policy document “Taking Action Against Wage Theft: Recommendations for Change”
