USW condemns decision to abolish the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise

TORONTO – The problem with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) was that it was never given the independence and powers it needed to do the job properly, says the United Steelworkers union (USW).

The USW strongly condemns the federal government’s decision to abolish the Office of the CORE.

When Canadian companies operating abroad are linked to serious human rights and labour rights abuses, affected communities and workers need stronger tools to seek remedies.

Citing its lack of effectiveness, the government has chosen to eliminate the country’s only office mandated to review these complaints.

“Workers and communities facing human rights and labour rights abuses linked to Canadian companies deserve a process that is independent, effective and backed by real powers,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director for Canada. “Abolishing the CORE is an abdication of one of the few imperfect tools that we had for greater corporate accountability. Instead of fixing a flawed office, this government has chosen to walk away from its responsibility.”

The USW knows these shortcomings firsthand. Through our complaint concerning the payment of living wages in the supply chain of Mark’s and Canadian Tire in Bangladesh, we saw how the CORE’s lack of authority and independence undermined its ability to deliver accountability.

Even so, abolishing the office is the wrong response. Workers and affected communities need an effective non-judicial mechanism that can investigate abuses, compel evidence and recommend meaningful remedies. Shutting the office down sends the message that Canada is retreating from its human rights responsibilities.

As one of the organizations representing thousands of Canadians who advocated for the creation of the CORE, the USW joins civil society allies in calling on the government to reverse this decision and establish a genuinely independent ombudsperson with the powers necessary to investigate corporate abuse and hold companies accountable.

About the United Steelworkers union

The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of its strong track record in creating safer, more respectful workplaces and negotiating better wages, benefits, and pensions.

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