EI is the most important income security program for workers faced with unemployment, but current eligibility criteria allow only 40% of male workers to qualify for benefits in the face of unemployment. This number decreases to 32% for unemployed women.
Having access to EI ensures that families can avoid falling into poverty while they seek employment that matches their skills or have the opportunity to receive valuable training which will improve their employment opportunities.
It is time for the federal government to use the accumulated surplus in the EI fund which reaches over $50 billion on the workers who need it the most, particularly as we head into a period of economic insecurity.
Eligibility requirements should be restored to 360 hours, with benefit levels based on the best 12 weeks of earnings at 60% of earnings as a minimum.
On October 16, 17 and 18th, millions of people around the world will “Stand Up and Take Action” against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. The mobilization will send a clear message to world leaders that we refuse to be silent in the face of ongoing poverty and inequality. Stand Up & Take Action, coordinated by the UN Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), is a global event in which citizens urge their leaders to keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
On Friday, October 16th, Campaign 2000 and Family Service Toronto will be participating in Make Poverty History’s Stand Up and Take Action event. This will consist of a representative from the Social Reform Unit (at our Church, Lawrence and Warden offices in Toronto) showing a short video clip and leading a pledge from participants to support eradicating poverty and the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Pledge numbers will be counted and sent to Make Poverty History. The goal is to surpass last year’s Guinness world record breaking 116 million signatures supporting these goals.
For more information, please contact Liyu at liyugu@familyservicetoronto.org
Other information regarding Stand Against Poverty and Make Poverty History may be found at: http://standagainstpoverty.org/about and at: http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/standup
Home | About us | What's New | Take Action | Report Cards | Resources | Contact us | FRANÇAIS
Copyright © Campaign 2000