The chaos and delays observed at airports are due to the shortage of labor and poor working conditions, according to the Unifor union, which on Thursday called on the Minister of Transport on the urgency of acting.
“The government must step in and put in place the rules and guidelines that will govern the operation of airlines, airports, traffic control organizations and support bodies to create a virtuous circle of successful workers, profitable businesses and satisfied travellers,” Unifor National President Lana Payne wrote in a letter to Minister Omar Alghabra.
“Employers have proven to us that they are only doing the bare minimum to comply with regulations and maximize their profits, while doing very little to satisfy customers, provide decent working conditions or create a thriving ecosystem. for the entire sector,” she said.
The union is proposing a series of measures to remedy the situation, including establishing a minimum wage, preventing employee harassment and improving the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Calls on Ottawa to take a more active approach to leading industry efforts with penalties in place to deter bad behavior in a way that meets the needs of workers, as well as travelers and travellers.
Ottawa says taking action
The federal government has said it continues to take action to address wait times and congestion at Canadian airports.
In an infographic released on Thursday, the Department for Transport observed a marked improvement at airports with faster security checks, fewer delays for international arrivals and fewer canceled flights.
Transport Canada announced the entry into force of a new regulation as of September 8, providing for a refund for canceled flights or when there is a long delay which is not the responsibility of the air carrier.